#GLM

Should a girl be assertive or timid? Which is more attractive and who made the law on that conviction? I watched a TV show today and heard something interesting. In the 1940’s, a man would rather be bored with a timid wife than embarrassed by an assertive one who speaks her mind in public. So I guess it had long been entrenched into the fabrics of social behaviors and values that it now feels awkward for a girl to be assertive. Little girls learning to code (Courtesy: Colorlines) Young girls learning to code (Courtesy: Colorlines) A little girl between ages 3 and 5 years is bold when she speaks to anyone and confidently asks for what she wants or refutes what she doesn’t. She is intelligent, curious, creative and enthusiastic! She isn’t afraid to try out any subject or sport, ask questions in class, participate in the debate team or run for president of the class! As she grows older and becomes a teenager, she is cautioned about being too outspoken, baring her fe...

This is a subject that has always been dear to me because I believe more should be said and done about women under some kind of oppression in this modern age. It could be mental, emotional, physical, sexual, financial, social or otherwise. I want to use this platform to advocate this course with the hope that the world around us will cut the women in their lives some slack on the criticisms, accusations, insults and abuse. It is time to rise up and support them in every way possible because ‘Girls’ Lives Matter’. Courtesy: UNWomen Despite landmark agreements like ‘the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and ‘the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), millions of women and girls across the world are still being forced into early marriage, victims of domestic violence, sexually and verbally harassed, treated unfairly compared to men and many more. Even the United Nations has faced serious challenges in its efforts to promote ...

It baffles me to see the achievements we celebrate in Nigeria or our concept of quality living when most of our living conditions are deplorable and appalling. We are smart, hardworking people that deserve more but I doubt we realize this fact, let alone demand for it. You see a guy or lady being regarded as a ‘big guy/man’ or ‘big girl/woman’ meaning they have arrived and have things working for them yet you find out that such a person still struggles with getting into his/her house after a heavy rain, have to deal with crazy traffic getting home because of bad roads, live in deplorable, poorly built homes which he/she pays so much for, barely has electricity to see his way around the house, let alone keep the fridge cold, has his kids attending poorly rated schools, and worse; receives poor healthcare when ill. Unfortunately, he pays so much for all these as such assumes he is getting the best life has to offer. My question here therefore is: Do we even know what quality of lif...

I heard a sad story of a relative who passed away recently after much struggle financially, emotionally and physically. She had been going through some challenges but decided to keep to herself rather than reach out to family and friends who could help. Now, before we become judgmental, she is an introvert. Very hard working and quite diligent hence she liked to sort issues out on her own. She needed very little to be contented and tried very hard to live within her means. But over the years, responsibilities piled up on her and the person she decided to trust for some emotional and financial support literally worsened her situation by taking the little she had and broke her heart. For an introvert, this must have been really hard to swallow seeing that introverts internalize issues and find it very hard to share their problems. As the days and months went by, it became more stressful and lonely yet she kept struggling rather than reaching out. She, like many others out there wou...

*Knowledge *Observation *Creativity *Experience Wealth of Ideas and Information ((Courtesy: Mahara Tucker) We gather information and ideas in different ways, subtly or obviously. Some are ardent readers, while some others enjoy gathering ideas from extroverted platforms. A few rely on their intuitions and some others draw conclusions from observations. However information is gathered, some learning occurs provided we open our minds to the process. I recently listened to a speech made to the graduating students of Wellesley College, Massachusetts by the Award winning writer: Chimamanda Adichie and something interesting got me thinking & formed the basis for my write up. She said she was invited to deliver a speech at a European Feminist Event where she was to highlight how a past famous feminist had influenced her views. Now, before the invitation, she said she had struggled with completely reading any of the  literature  written by the feminist let alone catego...

I used to think it was overrated when mothers said you forget all the labor pains and pregnancy woes when you see the face of your newborn. I am a new mom and can confirm that they are definitely right! You forget all the drama and imperfections around you and are filled with so much joy & contentment at the sight of that little one! Now, there are often mixed feelings when you hold your newborn in your arms for the first time especially if it's your first. From the little fears of holding the baby right to the big task of breastfeeding and sleepless nights. Some women even slip into depression under the pressure because truthfully, life as you knew it is never the same after the baby arrives. Sometimes you wish you had some lone times to do the things you loved such as sleeping in, going to the movies, going on impromptu vacations, strolling aimlessly around the malls and many more but the needs of your little one trumps any desire you may have. All it takes is it to l...

"Like the useless legs of one who is lame; so are wise words from the mouth of fools (Proverbs 26:7)" Some lame disabilities are depicted by inactive limbs that have lost their sensation for movement. They cannot function for walking even though they are physically in place. Such legs/limbs are useless to the ones who own them because they can’t move them around. In the same vein, speaking intelligent babbles and acting contrary is useless. Those words cannot impact the lives of the ones saying them let alone those that hear them. I was inspired by this proverb to write this short piece on being a fool. I believe the proverb is a simile that best describes the perception of some famous Nigerians whose boisterous behaviors continuously plague the identity of the Nation...both home & abroad. Let me start by defining the term ‘fool’ even though we already know and use it a lot! Oxford dictionary defines a fool as 'a silly person or a person who lacks good ...