Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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Women matter: Improving gender rights through girls’ education A presentation by Ladi Dariya T he 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights expresses the credo that all human beings are created free and equal. But not until 1995 did the United Nations declare women's rights to be human rights. The pursuit of equal rights, justice and freedom for and by women across the globe has been carried out through an alliance of governments, NGOs and even grassroots movements. In this century, as we stand in possession of accelerated information and communication and have become world citizens, it is sad that nationalistic identities persist and, along with nationalism, a view that does not embrace pluralism and a free and fair society. Most societies still cling to the belief that this new global society contradicts their system of beliefs. The concept of an inclusive and diverse world, of a more free and open society, presents challenges and in many cases, tensions. In most parts of Africa, girls and women are still being denied education, health and employment. For most of them, marriage is the only means of economic survival and social acceptance. It is however, very important in these times of competitive global economy that the girl child takes her rightful place in the society. Although efforts by some African governments for free primary education are laudable, the girl child needs much more than rudimentary education if she is to contribute meaningfully to the wider society. The primary school usually consists of people in one’s local home area, who have the same values and expectations. The result is that one is hardly ever challenged; nor does one meet new ideals that challenge the status quo. In my village for instance, I was taught English in my native dialect – nothing made sense! The secondary school, being more diverse, is the place where new awareness is achieved. It is no coincidence that this corresponds with adolescence, a period when people are more likely to question traditional values and to challenge accepted norms; where lasting character traits are formed and ambitions start to 40 Annual Review 2007/08 materialise. Being the formative years of adulthood, this is the time when education starts to matter and becomes valuable to the receiver. I could talk all night about the value of a secondary education and the fact that not everyone can afford it. I could also point to the fact that when it comes to choosing, the male child is given preference. For many African women, a secondary education represents an end not a beginning, breeding discontentment instead of satisfaction. They are suddenly more aware of themselves and what they could be, if only they were given the opportunity; not being able to go for further education most often ends in frustration. When I was in secondary school, girls were expected to take Home Economics while Agricultural Science and other sciences were the reserve of the boys…you were somehow orchestrated towards marriage, but other subjects made you yearn for better things; gave you a desire to have it all. After my secondary school, I thought that was it for me: I had no hope for any further education – there was no way my mother could afford it. My peers thought I ought to count my blessings at being sponsored through secondary school by the CCL Education Fund. They thought I should get married, since most of them were without any education and mothers already. My regular communication with the late Dymphna Porter of the CCL however, showed me the world in a different light. Not only did she write regularly to me, but she also encouraged her daughters to do the same. In those trying times, when I was thrown between pursuing my dreams and packing it all in by getting married to a young man I knew barely anything about, Dymphna Porter wrote me a letter that turned my life around. I will read the last paragraph of the letter… “Do not think of yourself as a ‘ghetto child’. You are an able and intelligent young woman, who has a lot to give to her country. Go on trying to find the best way to do this. There must be a way.” Sadly, this was the last mail I received from her as we lost touch for 14 years, when the Porters moved to a new home. She had persuaded the trustees of the CCL Education Fund to make a further year’s grant of £200 to enable me to take exams for further studies. I was overwhelmed by her belief in me and I knew I had to find a way. I took the exams and saved the part of the grant meant for my textbooks by photocopying those of my classmates. I saved on transport by walking and started a small business of buying and selling clothes to my more privileged classmates. That way I was able to save money to pay for my first year and I continued buying and selling throughout all my years at the University. I was still able to take care of my younger siblings and to supplement my mother’s income. Until very recently, I was the first and only graduate in my entire village. My two younger sisters whom I sponsored have since joined me. At the University, I was able to come to a deeper understanding of the gender issues in my part of the world. I took a lot of Political Science courses. I was not grooming myself for politics, but I needed an avenue to vent my pent-up feelings about the dual standards administered to males and females. I knew my views would not go beyond term papers and examinations, but these were avenues and I needed them. I could talk freely in class about genital mutilation, forced marriages and marriage of girls barely in puberty and about the girl child disallowed inheritance because of some custom or other. These were issues others in class knew and could identify with, but,
like me, they were helpless. It never occurred to me that I would ever address such a dignified assembly about how deep-rooted gender issues are in my country, or how much good the gift of education can do. I did finally get married for all the right reasons, five years ago. But when I got married, I hoped and prayed fervently like my mother before me and countless other African women that I would not have a daughter. I know that the girl child is capable of achieving the same or more than her male counterpart. Yet when I looked around me, it broke my heart to think I might have a daughter who would go through the same struggles and face the same difficulties that I had. I thought wishing not to have a female child would nip everything at the bud. Two daughters later, I realised we couldn’t wish the girl child away! This struggle is not about me at all; it is much bigger than me. Nature operates in a continuum; the girl child is needed for the cycle of life to continue. We all have unique roles to play in enabling her to take her rightful place, just as nature intended. Dymphna’s letters and dreams for me made me push for further education; they have also instilled in me the desire to see how far I can follow my heart. Even though I had lost touch with her and the CCL, I never forgot her confidence in me. By sheer determination, I forged a career in banking; a terrain that, in my country, is very male dominated. I wanted a job that would pay enough to allow me to save money to set up an NGO (‘Teenmums’) that would address the plight of women forced into early marriages and motherhood without any education or skills. Coming to the UK for postgraduate studies has been a lifelong dream sparked by my gratitude to the CCL and the girls at Burntwood School where Dymphna was a governor. Jenny Groves, James Porter and Beatrice Kolade who I consider partners in the struggle for a better Africa for women, helped in no small measure. I want everyone here to know that there is no limit to what the African woman can achieve if given the right encouragement. There is absolutely nothing special about me; my story could be the story of any other African woman who is given the same opportunity. I do not believe women in Africa want to be treated or viewed as being superior to men. Women do not want a different law to apply to them; they want to be recognised as partners in every struggle, as the equals they truly are. If legislation is made and enforced for free secondary education, worthy organisations like the CCL, the RCS and other charities would be freed to get on with the business of providing women with further education which would better equip them for nation building. I read a story once about an English missionary who went to Africa. The Ladi Dariya, a former recipient of the Commonwealth Countries League scholarship, addresses the RCS on how women’s rights might be improved through gender education in October 2007 missionary told the story of heading to a neighbouring village from the one where the church was stationed. There was a stream to be crossed between these two villages. He said he saw an African gentleman and his wife coming from the farm. The wife had on her head the farm produce they had harvested in a basket. On top of that was her husband’s hoe as well as hers. This woman was also heavily pregnant and had a toddler in a sling at her side. Her husband was walking in front with manly strides carrying nothing while she struggled under these heavy burdens, trying to keep up. When they got to the stream, the husband stopped to wait for her. The missionary thought to himself “surely he will have to carry some of these burdens now”. But to his utter horror, the man climbed his wife’s back, making sure his feet did not get wet, while she walked uncertainly across the stream. Now, whether this actually happened or is a fable is not the issue. This story epitomises the strength of the African woman. Education can only make her stronger and the continent will be the better for it. This is an edited version of a speech by Ladi Dariya to the Royal Commonwealth Society, on 10 October 2007. Ladi Dariya is an MA candidate in Management at Robert Gordon University, and a former Commonwealth Countries League Education Fund scholar. www.rcsint.org 41
Page 1 and 2: Creating ideas, building with visio
Page 3 and 4: Contents Royal Commonwealth Society
Page 5 and 6: Director-General’s Report My eigh
Page 7 and 8: Events, Conferences and Banqueting
Page 9 and 10: Building on the past, creating the
Page 11 and 12: Speakers at the RCS during 2007-200
Page 13 and 14: Another important development was t
Page 15 and 16: Can faith and politics meet on peac
Page 17 and 18: Migration: perception, policy and t
Page 19 and 20: Lobbying Parliament ‘Making an im
Page 21 and 22: experiences of the catastrophic eff
Page 23 and 24: “I think that you can grow the ec
Page 25 and 26: Throughout November and December 20
Page 27 and 28: The voice of youth Young people hav
Page 29 and 30: The new Business Area, housing the
Page 31 and 32: Write around the world The Commonwe
Page 33 and 34: network of tiny fibres and capillar
Page 35 and 36: An International Network Branch and
Page 37 and 38: The Caribbean In the Caribbean, the
Page 39 and 40: Supporting the work of the RCS The
Page 41: It is not only the volume, but also
Page 45 and 46: Dr David Suzuki, Co-founder of the
Page 47 and 48: Consolidated balance sheet As at 31
Page 49 and 50: Prince Edward Island (The Royal Com
Page 51 and 52: Nexus Strategic Partnerships is an

Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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