Aisha Buhari: Championing cause to protect women

In a pre-election recorded interview, the wife of the current president of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari responded to a question on her preferred causes upon assumption of “office”: “I leave that for the people to choose,” a truly selfless Aisha had said.

While championing causes by respectable Nigerians and indeed people of the world need not be on personalized based, i.e. selected by ethnicity, sex or religion, personal experience/affliction, etc; perhaps no one has ever been better poised, equipped and skilled to powerfully transform the fate of women and families in Nigeria than integritypresident Muhammadu Buhari’s adept wife, Aisha.

Providence has it that Aisha is named after the youngest wife of Islam’s prophet Mohammed (p), who is remembered for not only being one of those who contributed wholesomely to the narrated records upon which Islam is based today, but also for being a vociferous woman leader and what one might today call a rights advocate.

Nigerian women suffer untold hardship. While reported domestic violence levels are one in three, it is recognized that the true level is much higher and not obtained in surveys “because of stigmatization.” Our women are largely treated like second class or third class citizens. Married and divorced at will without consideration. In southern parts of Nigeria, straight talk, we even have them routinely killed after being required to serve like slaves.

In the north, women are abused, married-off young without their consent, discarded with their children by their husbands while still vulnerable teens and left no social reprieve than to beg and wallow in poverty.

Alimony is not duly observed nor is there any thought for child support where there are issues. As a result children affected are discarded into the Almajiri lifestyle. [Don’t forget to #StandForAlmajiri]

We all know these patterns. In 2013 the women protection bill was passed at last. But what use is a bill to the formally neglected, oppressed and repressed? Nigeria’s women need more and they need so fast. This is not for their sake only, but more importantly for ours as a nation riddled with deadly ills.

Dr. Peregrino Brimah, [Every Nigerian Do Something] Email: drbrimah@ends.ng