SOMETIMES THE KING IS AN AREWA WOMAN

Arewa women are breaking barriers and making inroads into every facets of society, writes Aisha Shuaibu

One aspect of governance and development in Northern Nigeria that doesn’t get spoken about enough is the part Arewa women play. There is a need to confront the sociocultural hurdles that prevent their participation in being voices of change. Many Arewa women are objects of a patriarchal society that disregards their contribution to key issues in male-dominated job roles. Even when given opportunities, they are often found in non-critical positions that do not constitute any serious impact. Although Northern Nigerian women possess great electoral strength, only about 3.6% of Nigerian women make up the national parliament and 6.7% in elective and appointive positions overall. Where are our women?

Poverty and access to quality education are primary hindrances to women’s participation in our communities and country as a whole. For Arewa, the conservative foundation the region sits on has always affected the political participation of women. Those who actively try to overcome the obstacles associated with cultural limitations eventually get stigmatized. Worst of all, the educated and exposed, especially young Arewa women are tagged as intimidating and uncultured. A work-life balance is seemingly unrealistic for Arewa women when compared to their male counterparts and their success is often linked to their fathers or husbands, and not to their own contributions. The support given to Arewa women to ‘diffuse’ the double standard is hardly consistent and ideas brought forward by women tend to be silenced, ignored or stolen with no acknowledgment or recompense. These societal contradictions impede ambitious Arewa women with the education, skillset, interest and capacity to sit on decision making tables and that must change.

There is a constant call for more participation from northern Nigerian women but there is a hesitation on their part due to the rigorous road of overcoming those socioeconomic barriers to success. This does not change the fact that Nigeria needs the women of Arewa. It takes them realising it to wake up and understand that their value and capability to step up to the big stage with bravery and assertion is not up to anyone but themselves. Representation is a powerful tool for the motivation and empowerment of young Arewa women. The more there are leading the way forward through public and private sector, the more of them there will be in the long-run. For Arewa women in grassroot communities, starting small businesses has become a necessary means of survival, even amidst economic instabilities. Women-led MSMEs in Northern Nigeria have been left vulnerable to financial insecurity due to the region’s low development indicators. Between 2017 and 2022, women-led companies in Nigeria raised over $200m where 97% was from the southern region of the country and only 2.8% from the North. These discouraging figures appear to leave Arewa even further behind as other regions that prioritise girl-child education are producing better numbers. Looking into the family unit is also the burden of responsibility placed on Arewa women by Arewa men who insist they remain as homemakers attending only to domestic duties. Is it not possible for a woman to succeed as a homemaker and changemaker, simultaneously?

It is important to keep developed nations in view as a source of inspiration for where we must get to as a country through our women. The educated Arewa woman can be a visionary, an audacious leader and quite frankly brilliant in multiple other ways, should she believe in herself and be surrounded by equally supportive people. When the world was brought to its knees by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, women-led countries showed quick action in curbing the spread of the virus, protecting the lives of their citizens much faster than other countries. New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Germany, Taiwan and Denmark put in place effective strategies that spoke to the true strength of female leadership. CNN correspondent, Christiane Amanpour said “.. each of these leaders communicated tough stay at home, stay alive messages combined with empathy, calm, competence and hard work and always favoured science over politics”. This is the true value of entrusting women to lead. The consideration for human life takes precedence over the thirst for power and this is all we ask of the Nigerian leaders of today.

Times have indeed changed in Northern Nigeria as more women are not only working but pursuing unique careers and upending gender norms. Trailblazing Arewa women in and outside Nigeria today are serving as role models to the generation of young women watching. They are breaking stereotypes, defying the norm and commanding well deserved respect from the Nigerian and Global communities. The Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed of Gombe State, Amb. Dr Olufolake Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, Sen Aishatu Binani of Adamawa State, Fatima Kyari Mohammed of Borno State, to list only a few, are figures of prestige, courage, wisdom and honour who should make us all proud to be African, Nigerian, Arewa women. There are gaps to be filled, elections to be won, companies to be led and communities to be impacted, all of which are responsibilities that should be entrusted into the hands of capable Arewa women. Procrastination, fear and doubt must be completely removed from the picture when pursuing ambitious goals. The need to represent the Arewa woman in every room should be a driving force to want to begin and never look back. Equally important is to support one another, to collaborate and to not have a hand in the downfall of the next woman, even if you must compete.

The role of the government in ensuring the inclusion of women on all levels is to review existing legislature that give room to discriminatory acts and replace them with appropriate policies, while also holding public service officials who refuse to be compliant accountable to their actions. Through open and healthy dialogue about critical issues faced by Arewa women, we can create opportunities for them to explore careers they enjoy and can make a difference. We must also implore the Arewa man to abandon ancient thinking and encourage the empowerment of women overall. 

Shuaibu is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board