A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ON THE POTENTIALS OF GENDER PARITY IN SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The institutionalization of patriarchy in Nigeria and the majority of African societies has resulted in grave violations of human rights, including the severe and pervasive abuse of women's mental and emotional rights.  This is a result of the sociocultural context in which many African and Nigerian societies appear to favour men's hegemonic superiority over women, who are frequently characterized as the weaker sex. The obvious cases of male dominance, prejudice, and subordination of the feminine gender in all areas of human endeavour, including politics, education, and even the home and community front, have prevented women from realizing their full potential and making significant contributions to the advancement of society. Interestingly, in more developed climes women play pivotal roles in governance, business, and several other fields of human endeavours which makes the continued subjugation of women a palpable aberration that is inimical to societal progress. This paper analytically investigates the indices of female subjugation in Nigeria with a view to unravelling the causes and consequence and the most plausible ways of curbing the trend for societal benefit. The paper submits that the continued subjugation of women is injurious to societal progress and advocates prioritizing gender parity so as to empower the female gender to maximally contribute their quota to societal development.