Biological or natural factors also have also been used to forestall the process of women liberation in some societies.

 “Liberation of women” is such a difficult concept to achieve. Women as regards conceptual origin are believed to be inferior to the opposite sex(man). In fact, almost all facet or forms of socio-political cultural aspect of life restricts and ultimately murders a glimmer of women or feminine liberation. The real fact is,women liberation is not totally unattainable. It is an issue today as a result of various societal, cultural, political, biological and even religious factors

The society orientates masculine superiority and in such instance total authority and sovereignty by the man is the order of the day. In such a situation, the power of gender is segmented and focused on a masculine figure; much to the detriment of the freedom  of women.  The issue of gender segregation comes into play when laws and social norms, conventions, and ethics favour only one gender, being mostly the male, while fettering the actions of women in the society. An example will help illustrate this point. Some years back, in some parts of the world, women were not permitted to be educated; it was a privilege reserved only for the men. These long-term societal normative ill influenced women at the time were able to contribute to the society. The educated males had an advantageous tool in being able to experience liberty.

The political settings of most countries of the world discourages women liberation. Political matters such as leadership, how a country is run and the general welfare of the country are usually left for the men to deal with. Only few women are found in the core realm of power these days. The most pertinent question is “how far can they go and how far can it go?

Biological or natural factors also have also been used to forestall the process of women liberation in some societies. It is generally known that women have the weaker body just as it is often said that “they are weaker vessels”. This biological assertion possibly has the effect of imprinting mental and psychological picture in the minds of women that could lead to the creation of an inferiority complex and ultimately withdrawal of the drive for liberation.

Finally, as inconspicuous as it may seem the religious influence makes women liberty even more difficult. Some holy books preach that man started humanity and afterwards, the woman came along. They say complete commitment and dedication to man or authority is coupled with obedience. Liberty is achieved either by means of persuasion or force. The latter is more popular form of using force through protest to get freedom. Literally, there is the fight for liberation but strict adherence to religious beliefs undermines the use of force on those at the central seat. Therefore for the more religious women, there is a tendency to just leave everything to God.

What does all this mean?  Except the issues discussed above are recognised and addressed, the issue of women liberation will remain an illusion and a mirage for women, especially those in less-privileged societies that do not uphold human rights.

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30 Days 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians to share their stories and experiences with other young Nigerians, within our borders and beyond, to inspire and motivate them.

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.