16 hours Ago By . .
By Sa’adatu Aliyu Nigeria’s legislative chamber is a disgrace. These are people deciding our fate, looking everything but serious. Watching them feels like being strapped to a chair and forced to watch and laugh at a boring comedy.
It’s a total nightmare. Moreover, sighting Senator Natasha walking out of the Senate was disturbing, reinforcing the reality of injustice and the flawed Nigerian system, which perpetuates sexism and denies women freedom. The penalty finalised against her is nothing but a testament to bullying.
As men dominate the floor, as they do in other male-dominated spheres, true justice seems elusive. Most of these men, who view sexism as a normal occurrence in women’s lives, saw fit to gang up against Senator Natasha. This mindset is all too common among African men, who are often experts in trivialising sexism.
In simple terms, this is a case of toxic patriarchy reinforced, something many women have been tirelessly working against for years. As a literature student who has studied the origins of feminist movements, I’m aware of the struggles women face. However, this issue transcends feminism; it’s about truth.
With that being said, we all know the incident started after Senator Natasha made several claims of being sidelined by the Senate president Being constantly ignored whenever she tried to raise a motion as regards the development of Ajaokuta steel mines. Behind the Senate President’s actions, however, was a backstory. Months ago, a nightclub comment sparked widespread condemnation.
Having endured much, Senator Natasha eventually exploded, leading to the escalation of the issue, further allegedly accusing the president of a history of sexual harassment. On Natasha’s outfit The lafaya, as its referred to in northern Nigeria, is mostly worn by Muslim women and considered quite decent dressing, worn in traditional events like wedding ceremonies by brides and sometimes horse-riding festivals. Let’s not forget that Natasha is a Christian woman who has chosen to adorn herself in an outfit that not only fits her well but is also pretty and not exposing.
Yet the Senate President makes claims that her chosen fashion is transparent and offensive to his sight. Assuming this is true, how is Natasha able to make it through the Senate gates if truly her attire was that exposing and provocative? I believe the Senate has a dress code, and if she was in violation of this, she wouldn’t have been allowed to pass through the Senate gate. But because, obviously, there’s nothing wrong with her mode of dressing—which is very decent for a Christian woman, by the way—it makes the Senate president’s claims baseless and disrespectful.
And instead of presiding over important matters, he is carried away by what wardrobe a senator chooses. It’s absurd. Women as enablers of toxic patriarchal abuse Women, especially those from our mothers’ generation, African women, have been indoctrinated into a dangerous culture of acceptance that allows them to accommodate the excesses of men in society; to defend them, even.
Women who try to justify a man’s sexual misconduct or any other behavioral misconduct. So much that a daughter stuck in a bad marriage, where she’s a victim of domestic violence, is told to endure. A daughter who’s a rape victim is not just blamed but is asked to never speak of the issue.
She is the victim, yet bears the shame. “It’s a wrong committed by men, there’s nothing we can do.” That’s what young girls have been taught.
And because of this, many women have to live with abusive men, continuing to endure abuse on many fronts, because suffering is equated with righteousness. For these women, silence is bravery and speech is cowardly. Moreover, among other things, those women who come out to dismiss the allegations leveled against the Senate President unapologetically belong to this school.
Another likely reason to smear Natasha’s claims as false and unfounded is the threat she poses to them – women who may be envious of her based on her physical appearance and youthful beauty. Women are known to size up each other and hold grudges against those they feel have something they don’t have, and one thing the senator has is beauty. On that alone, the women would be threatened.
Therefore, supporting her is out of the question. Yet all this doesn’t come as a surprise to me – the silence of women who were supposed to stand up with her; as women are known to be enemies of themselves. However, while her suspension may seem like a defeat, I commend Senator Natasha for her stoic bravery and refusal to be silenced in the face of injustice.
Regardless of the outcome of this case, she has triumphed because she spoke up. Natasha has refused to be that meek daughter; that “good daughter.” She has defied expectations.
She refuses to be labeled as “Mama endurance” in the face of harassment. And though some women may now be saying, “She should have just kept quiet, see where this has landed her,” I want to say to them that it’s better to be in this position, knowing you advocated for yourself and can walk away, than to remain silent in an environment that continues to torment you. It’s daughters like these that we want to raise – daughters who can look into the eye of injustice and say no, not again.
Natasha spoke truth to authority; she fought back. And people may see her action as inappropriate, but we forget that her outburst is a result of accumulated frustration. She’s the true daughter of “Ane Ebira” who refused to go mum.
Being from the same tribe as Her Excellency, Senator Akpoti, I can categorically say that Ebira people are known for their bravery – their obstinate fearlessness in the face of provocation. It’s not in our nature to start a fire, but we’re never afraid to step into fire if it means defending ourselves. And we’re known to fight for our truth.
You can’t bully an Ebira man or woman without them fighting back. “I’m not afraid of you” came from a place – a trail of fearless ancestors who never ran away from battle. Sa’adatu works at DLC ABU and can be reached: [email protected] Discover the latest trends on Temu! Shop mobile phones, fashion, beauty, home essentials & more.
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