By Bridget Ikyado
A Catholic Priest in the Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr Emmanuel Unamba, has condemned gender discrimination in the society, describing it as injustice against humanity.
Fr Unamba said this at the inauguration of a community project hosted by Princess Perpetual Ebokhasomi -Godwin and Priscilla Nnedinmah Agha.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project is part of activities to graduate their fellowship programme at the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) at Community Secondary School, Kabusa ,Abuja.
Speaking on the topic “Gender Equity: An Instrument of Peace” the Priest said that humans had introduced series of unjust distinction among the people and particularly to the topic,“ unjust distinction between men and women”.
According to him, the discuss on gender equity is a discuss on justice. No sex should be deprived of the opportunity, which others have. And no sex should be treated in a discriminative manner.
He explained that, “for God, there is no sex that is a first class citizen or second class citizen,” even as he affirmed that gender equality is raising an opposition to why God created human beings differently.
According to the Rev. Father, equality means being the same, therefore, gender equality is a fight against nature, while gender equity is a fight for nature.
“God did not make a mistake when he created a woman to be a helpmate to the man. In the woman, the man finds completeness.
“Similarly, there is peace in the home and by extension the society because women are playing their path. A world with only men will be a battleground.
“We see how women mediate between their children and their father, between their husbands and families, and between their husbands and the neighbours.
“When we observe seeming injustice against women even from our holy books, we must read them within their context, we should understand it within the context of law and culture.
“Women over the ages were made to feel inferior and unconsciously they disposed themselves to it. (lion cub that grew up with cow).
“Women themselves should struggle to be given equal rights and privileges with men because sometimes the greatest promoters of women oppression are the women themselves,” he said.
Speaking at the event the Chief of Kabusa Community, His Royal Highness, Samuel Kpowu, said that peace could not be achieved if people didn’t tolerate one another.
He said that no religion should claimed supremacy over the other because all humans access one God.
He admonished the people of the community to take away their differences and see each other as one to enable peace reign, even as he acknowledged that it is possible.
While appealing to them to live in peace and harmony with great tolerance, he urged the people to emulate Princess Perpetual and Priscilla for their efforts and goodwill to help the people of Kabusa.
“If all Nigerians would be thinking like them, Nigeria would be better,” he said.
On her part, the monitoring and evaluation Officer of COFP, Mrs Augustina Richard, urged the beneficiaries to make use of the training they had received during the three day peace workshop, skill acquisition and empowerment.
She appealed to them to produce quality products to attract patronage from costumers, even as she noted that the foundation would be happy to hear and see their success.
In her address, Princess Perpetual, explained that the goal and vision of the project was to build up the mindset of individuals at the community level that living in a peaceful society was the only way one could learn, work and live together as God’s creation to promote brotherliness, friendliness and oneness.
“This is no time for religious rivalry and futile blame games. What is needed and necessary is for us all, Christians and Muslims to join our hearts, minds and hands together to deal with this common menace.
“We need a high dose of optimism and conviction to work for interreligious harmony and cooperation in our community today,” she said.
As fellows of the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation, we conducted a study session on gender equity. “Nigeria being of a diverse economy, culture and religion, there are bound to be crisis and conflict.
“Today with the support of the foundation, we have come here to sensitize the community of Kabusa on the advantages of using mutual respect to understand different religious
background or different religion and diverse beliefs today.
“And, to empower the women to be able to fend for themselves so that they can have other source of income to be able to support their husbands,” Priscilla said.
The duo thanked the foundation for the support given them to finance and execute the project.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chairman, Persons with Disabilities, Kabusa Ward, Peter Afranyu, thanked the project host and their sponsor for remembering them in Kabusa.
He also explained how useful the training would be to many family.