NAN-H-22
Girl-child
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Feb. 10, 2018 (NAN) A Sociologist, Prof. Lai Olurode, on Saturday urged parents to encourage girl-child to engage in external activities and things that were technical in nature.
Olurode of University of Lagos, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
The sociologist also urged parents to buy literature books that were technical in nature to encourage the girl-child to make core sciences attractive.
He spoke ahead of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science marked every Feb. 11.
The day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.
This day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened.
The celebration is led by UNESCO and UN-Women, in collaboration with institutions and civil society partners that promote women and girls’ access to and participation in science.
Olurode said that girl-child should be allowed to play outside the home, saying, “it tends to allow people at tender ages to be able to express and be themselves and become more assertive later in life’’.
According to him, inquisitiveness on the part of girl-child should be encouraged.
“What should be done is to encourage more girls and women to study science to address the issue of gender discriminatory.
“Girls at tender ages of zero to five want to play rough and engage in external activities and things that are really technical like damaging things, which is where scientific orientation is embedded.
“So, the idea of just buying toys that are not of technical in nature such as teddy bear, things that are gentle in nature, and things that will cause no harm to the child, will not encourage a girl-child to study science.
“Girl-child should be allowed at early age to express herself and be more explorative,’’ Olurode said.
He said that women could still pursue a career in science, even after concluding their maternal role of child bearing.
Olurode urged the society to also provide facilities that would encourage women to study science.
He said that the segregation in schools where only boys were allowed to play outside the classroom should be discouraged, not just in games, but in areas that were technical in nature.
The sociologist called for institutional support for ladies, especially in the realm of affirmative action.
“Affirmative action must be enforced, even if the girls don’t perform and pass as well as boys in terms of pursuing courses in the sciences,’’ Olurode said.
He urged institutions to employ more women in the technical area and laboratory, and give them tax rebate and robust salary far better than what the boys would earn. (NAN)
LED/GOK
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Edited by Olagoke Olatoye