GENDER INEQUALITY IN NIGERIA by Okafor Amuche C. Department of Mass Communication

Gender equality has been one of the most prevalent issues in our society. The difference between the sex and gender roles of men and women are so much being debated on today. Radical feminist believe that biology difference is the reason for gender equality state between men and women while the Marxist/Socialist feminists think it is capitalism that is the problem. Liberal feminist advocates for gradual change in the political, economic and social system and also equal opportunity in education and work sector. It was deduced that Nigerian men do not see their women as equal. The women in Nigerian society are seen as the ‘other’ of the men. It was suggested that women empowerment is the first step in achieving gender equality and also the need to work towards intensified education and enlightenment of the individual women so that she discovers her power and break the cycle of low self-esteem. Introduction In every society, there are differences in the distinct behavior patterns of men and women to qualify them as belonging to two different cultural/subcultures. In men dominated societies which is patriarchy, women’s subordination and male‘s dominance are so pronounced that their subcultures are literally separated by a world of difference. One such society is Nigeria. Commonsense views on differences between men and women tend to assume that there are distinct, consistent and highly significant biological differences between the sexes. Warton (2005) describes this view in the following way: the claim that sex marks a distinction between two physical and genetically discrete categories of people is called sexual diomorphism. The idea of sexual diomorphism has certainly been very influential and continues to be supported by many people. However, as early as the 1960’s writers were beginning to question some of the assumptions on Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 1 December, 2015 69 which sexual diomorphism is based to suggest that the differences between men and women were as much societal as biological. The distinction between sex and gender was the starting point for the development of alternative views. The first person to make this distinction was the American Psychoanalyst Robert Stoller (1968). Stoller made the commonsense observation that the vast majority of population can clearly be categorized as male or female according to their physical characteristics. Biological differences are widely believed to be responsible for the differences in both the behavior of men and women and the roles their play in society. Stoller cautioned though against such an assumption when he said: “Gender is a term that has psychological and cultural Connotations. If the propertermfor sex are ‘male’ and ‘female’, the corresponding term for gender are ‘masculine’and ‘feminine’. These later might be quite independent of the biological sex”. In other words, it does not necessarily follow that being a woman means being feminine nor that being a man means behaving in a masculine way. Girls are not necessarily caring and compassionate; boys do not have to be aggressive and competitive. The Social Construction of Gender Roles Oakley (1974) believes that gender roles are culturally rather than biologically produced. According to Uchem (2005), gender refers to socially constructed roles that men and women are expected to perform in a given societyin the family, community and church. It involves an understanding of what it means to be a man or a woman in given culture including society’s expectations of how men and women should feel, look or act for example social norms and cultural values encourage women to be passive and men to wield power and to impose their will upon others especially the women and children. This power very often leads to physical and sexual violence on women. Gender roles are learned from childhood and may vary from one culture to another and also change over time since they are human made. Gender is flu. In other words, they are not natural or biological. Whatever the biological differences between males and females, it is the culture of a society that exerts most influence in the creation of masculine and feminine behavior. Socialization and Gender Roles Oakley (1974) outlines how socialization in modern societies shapes the behavior of girls and boys from an early age. Basing her work on the findings of Ruth Okafor Amuche C. Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 1 December, 2015 70 Hartley, she discusses four main ways in which socialization into gender roles takes place.  The child’s self concept is affected by manipulation. For example, mothers tend to pay more attention on girl’s hair and to dress them in feminine clothes.  Differences are achieved through canalization involving the direction of boys and girls towards different objects. This is particularly obvious in the provision of toys which encourage girls to rehearse their expected roles as mothers and housewives. Girls are given dolls, soft toys and miniature domestic objects and appliances to play with. Boys on the other hand are given toys which encourage more practical, logical and aggressive behavior for example bricks and guns.  Another aspect of socialization is the use of verbal appellations such as you’re a naughty boy or that’s a good girl. This leads young children to identify with their gender and imitate adults of the same gender.  Male and female children are exposed to different activities. For example girls are particularly encouraged to be involved with domestic tasks. In addition, numerous studies have documented how stereotypes of masculinity and feminity are further reinforced throughout childhood and indeed adult life. The media have been particularly strongly attacked by the feminist for portraying men and women in their traditional social roles. Gender Inequality: Feminist View The development of feminism has led to attention being focused on the subordination position of women in many societies. Feminist sociologists have been mainly responsible for developing theories of gender inequality, yet there is little agreement about the cause of this inequality or about what actions should be taken to reduce or end it. Radical Feminism Radical feminist blames the exploitation of women on men. To a radical feminist, it is primarily men who have benefited from the subordination of women. According to Bryson (1999), radical feminist see women as an “oppressed” group who had to struggle for their own liberation against their oppressors that is against men. Radical feminism is concerned with women right rather than gender equality. It does not seek to minimize the difference between men and women but instead believes that there is a female or feminine nature that has been concealed and/or Gender inequality in Nigeria Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 1 December, 2015 71 distorted throughout history, one that needs to be liberated and revalued. Radical feminist see society as patriarchal whereby it is dominated and rule by men. From this point of view, men are the ruling class and women the subject class. The family is seen by radical feminist as the key institution oppressing women in modern societies. The family is certainly given prominence than in Marxist sociology where as part of the superstructure it is given only secondary importance. Radical feminist tend to believe that women have always been exploited and that only revolutionary change can offer the possibility of their liberation. Some radical feminists such as Firestone (1972) believe women’s oppression originated in their biology particularly in the fact that they give birth. Other radical feminist see men’s biology as the problem. Daily (1978), for example blames female oppression on male aggression. A number of radical feminists believe that rape and male violence to\wards women are the methods through which men have secured and maintained their power. Because men are seen as the enemies of women’s liberation, many radical feminists reject any assistance from the male sex in their struggle to achieve the rights they seek Marxist / Socialist Feminist Marxist / Socialist feminist do not attribute women’s exploitation entirely on men. They see capitalism rather than patriarchy as being the principal source of women’s oppression and capitalists as the main beneficiaries. Like radical feminist, they see women’s unpaid work as housewives and mothers as one of the main ways in which women are exploited. Although men in general benefit, it is primarily capitalists who gain from women’s unpaid work. The Marxist and socialist feminist relate women’s oppression to the production of wealth while radical feminist attribute greater importance to childbearing. The disadvantaged position of women is held to be a consequence of the emergence of private property and consequently their lack of ownership of the means of production which in turn deprives them of power. Although Marxist and socialist agree with radical feminist that women as a group are exploited particularly since the advent of capitalism, they are more sensitive to the differences between women who belong to the ruling class and proletarian families. Nevertheless, both the working class and women whatever their class are oppressed groups in society so there is considerable potential for cooperation between have interest in common with the working class and they see greater scope for cooperation between women and working class men than do radical Okafor Amuche C. Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 1 December, 2015 72 feminist. Marxist feminist share with radical feminists a desire for revolutionary change, however, they seek the establishment of a communist society. In such a society where the means of production will be communally owned, they believe gender inequalities will disappear. Liberal Feminist Liberal feminist does not