September 9, 2013

It was so quiet, and for the first time, I realized silence itself has a sound, its sound is deafening and not pleasing to the ears at all.

Suddenly thoughts from a recent conversation I am about to share with you started coming back, but that time it was with tears.

 I was so emotional.

American novelist Nicholas Sparks said, emotions come and go and can’t be controlled. Therefore there’s no reason to worry about them, and in the end, people should be judged by their actions and its actions that defined everyone.”

Indeed, expressing emotions cannot solve the problems, so there is a need for action.

What inspired this article was a story a friend of mine told me about something that happened in his village many years ago. The story touched me and am sure it will move you too.

Larai’s story began 25 years ago when she was in Primary 5. She used to be the most brilliant child who was always at the topmost position in the class.

Larai’s destiny was changed when she was removed from school at an early age and married off to someone.

“For 25 years, I have not set my eyes on Larai”; my friend continued, “until one day when I travelled home.”

“Upon seeing me, she called my name, and surprisingly I remember her too because we shared the same desk while we were in primary school.”

“The look on her face says it all. Larai is indeed facing a lot of life’s difficulties; she’s carrying a child on her back, and one followed her while five more were at home;” he added.

“After we’ve exchanged pleasantries and she continued walking, she suddenly stopped and asked the child following her to come and call me, and as I went to her, eyes filled with tears, she looked at me and said in Hausa; ‘An cuce ni’!‘ If I were allowed to continue my education, I could have been someone influential today. I could have found many ways to support my children and my dying husband.”

England born musician John Lennon once said; no matter how hard you tried, you can’t hide it when you’re crippled from the inside. Larai is indeed crippled from the inside.

You see, I always thank my ancestors for realizing the importance of education and allowing everyone in the family chain to go through it.

I can’t imagine seeing myself each morning milking cow and parading through the bushes to reach the next market and sell the content.

How could my life be then? I wonder!

I still can’t stop imagining how life is to all those women who missed out the chance.

We have to help them!

This is precisely the advice my friend always gives me to fellow women who were deprived.

We have to make them realize that there’s hope and there’s something they can do for themselves, their family, the community and country at large.

Education is the key to economic and politic empowerment, and Barbara Jordon said women empowerment is something that cannot be undermined.

Women empowerment is very essential because as a wife or a mother; there lies a great burden on her.

There are many women in society like Larai whose today was affected by the actions of yesterday, and that is why we really need to help the situation.

A lot of people out of ignorance or denial takes women empowerment to be equal to something like a rubbing- shoulder game with men, and it’s not.

Women empowerment is giving hope to the hopeless woman; making her realize that she is worthy and can still positively impact on society

. Also, showing her that she does not have to be an anti-man to be a pro-woman.

Mary Wollstonecraft said women empowerment means women must have power over themselves and not over men.

Women must understand that they have a significant role to play in changing society, and that can only be achieved when they are empowered.

Only when empowered will a woman who in turn trains her children, understands the difference between right and wrong; and advocates for the former instead of the later.

Hellen Keller said the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they must be felt with the heart”; so let’s move our fellow women’s heart… let’s show them they are worthy …let’s empower them!