Nigeria: No to Gender Discrimination
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GENDER discrimination has come up in, Pacesetter Academy, a school around Gwarimpa and Wuse areas of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Seven female teachers discovered to be pregnant had their employment terminated by the proprietress of the school. Glory Ezeme and Joy Obioha, spokespersons for the affected teachers said they received their disengagement notice from their employers through “text messages.” Already, they have sent a petition to Dr. Igwe Aja Nwachukwu, Minister of Education to come to their rescue so as to prevent their being thrown into unemployment. The Minister must come to the aid of these pregnant teachers by conducting a thorough investigation into their matters. Being a private school, it might be painful having to lose seven of its female teachers to three months’ maternity leave,but it is not a justifiable reason for sacking them. Nothing in the nation’s statute books says a woman should be disengaged from her work on account of pregnancy. Rather, the 1999 Constitution in Section 17 provides that “the evolution and promotion of family life is encouraged”. Procreation is a salient aspect of the family life that the Constitution promises to promote. The contemporary society has saddled women with more traditional responsibilities they perform in the home front. Women because of modernity and reality of the times now play partnership roles with their husbands in the running of family by seeking gainful employment to complement their spouses’ earnings. It will now be sad for them to be subjected to discrimination for having to undergo the mandatory procreation process as reflected through pregnancy. The government must ensure that no school or other employers of labour terminate the services of pregnant women. Such move is not only inhuman but also runs contrary to the provision of our constitution on family values and is discriminatory. Incidents like this call attention to the cruelity that employees in smaller organisations undergo. How can people be sacked through text messages? Was that part of the condition of their employment? The seven female teachers’ petition should be given the desired urgent attention by the Minister. They should get back to their jobs to serve as warning to other employers that are in the habit of discriminating against pregnant women. Source : allafrica.com |