During a session in one of our partner schools on Gender Equality, the students debated vehemently among themselves as to who should do what and who should not do what. It was disappointing hearing some statements being made by our future leaders. Some children were of the view that girls are responsible for household chores. There were many questions in mind. Then I realized who I was, a Change Maker!
As a change maker, it was a wakeup call when the late Kofi Annan, 7th United Nations Secretary-General said “Knowledge is power, information is liberating; education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”
This was an opportunity to take these young ones from their homes to travel the bigger world and wake the reality up in them. Timely, well planned and well taught through programmes such as the Get Global Programme liberate the minds from some old fashioned ideologies.
Children are generally influenced by what they see and hear. This goes a long way in forming the lifestyles of individuals. The 8th United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, once said “Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys”.
For us to develop as a society, as a nation, it is our collective effort not to discriminate against gender.