In the Kumbwada Kingdom of Nigeria, Queen Hajiya Haidzatu Ahmed occupies the throne. Any man that has wished to claim the throne for himself has taken ill and, in some cases, even died.
This mysterious and shocking situation has been consistent, as the kingdom has never had a male ruler. Hajiya’s father, who had attempted to gain the throne from Hajiya’s mother, almost immediately suffered a near-fatal illness.
“It’s a women’s affair,” the 65-year-old monarch said. “Women are the rulers and they rule as effectively as men, sometimes even better than men.”
Some are certain that there is witchcraft and dark magic involved. Nevertheless, Kumbwada’s rulership has remained constant: When a man voices his opinion to control the throne, the act has a depressing result.
Living as a female in a patriarchal universe — although our world is more gender-equal now than in the past — it is a long shot when fantasizing about a female president in the United States.
Yes, we have female senators, females in Congress and females holding positions of power in our society, but we have nothing like that which is in Nigeria. Although kings and queens do not play a part in our community, it would be a shock for many to see a woman as president of the U.S. — a position that would be analogous to Hajiya’s queenship.
So, what is it that drives our gender discrimination? Is it the fact that we simply don’t know any better? Or is it that men have been holding positions of power for generations? Do we fear change? Is it that there are people in the world who believe men are more capable than women? I guess we’ll never know.
No one desires to be so politically incorrect or blunt that they would honestly admit as to why women constantly get lower paying jobs for equal amounts work.
In my sociology trends and problems class, when discussing gender inequality and the “wage gap,” it was revealed that the average college educated female earns about the same as the average non-college educated male. Bear in mind, power often begins with money.
Women haven’t succeeded to positions of power because we have not been awarded a chance. Although the town on Kumbwada has taken an unfamiliar step in the direction of fairness, Nigeria is not even close to rearranging the gender issue. In most of Nigeria, women are typically forced into secondary roles. Natives believe this is religious law and Hajiya’s community is a small exception.
The fact that there exists a place where women are considerd equal to — or even above — men, sheds a glimmer of light upon humankind. This is not to seek revenge on our male counterparts, but to illustrate that women deserve to be considered equal. Women have been consistently undermined and tormented. We continue to be thought of as inferior.
Our world persistently transforms and continually revolutionizes. This offers hope to eventually achieve the goal that no matter the form of one’s bodily curves, everyone is worthy of equivalent liberties.
Rebecca Eisenberg is a sophomore philosophy major and columnist for the Daily 49er.
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