Silence is power, silence is wisdom, silence is a peacemaker. However, Silence is also the reason the discrimination we face today thrives. For this reason, we were all given a voice, not for us to conceal it but for us to speak out and stand up for what we believe in -the future we want, an equal future. In most parts of the world -nations, communities, cultures & tribes – the girl child has no voice, little or no opportunities and consequently an unequal future with the boy child. In other words, she is disadvantaged from birth for the very reason of being a girl. At this point, seeing that her silence has brought neither progress nor change, she needs to be heard and to be heard she needs to have a voice.
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful”. This was rightly said by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, and l couldn’t agree more. Our voices can change the system of the world and nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change. Nevertheless, in order for a change to be made, the girl child must be given a voice because our voice is the route to an equal future. Now the question comes what is the voice of the girl child?
The voices that speak and are given fair hearing today go beyond word, the most prominent of them being an educated voice. Education is a major means of getting the girl child to have an equal future. More female schools should be built and laws for compulsory primary and post-primary school enrollment for the girl child should be made. Education is the foundation for the future we hope for and is a major tool, in the hands of the girl child, for navigating the global system.
Furthermore, for the purpose of fueling a girl child’s self-confidence and giving her a new mental orientation, more girls’ associations should be formed and girls should be encouraged to join. This is necessary because when girls stand with their fellow girls, irrespective of their race or social status, their unity will earn the respect needed to attain equality with the other gender because united – we stand, united – stronger is our voice, united – we get heard, united we achieve an equal future.
It is said that in order to cross the road, you must first remove the obstacles. Therefore, in order to give the girl child a voice, we must silence the practices that silence them. It is quite unfortunate that till this day some parts of the world still uphold terrible cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and early marriage. These practices ruin the self-esteem of the girl child, makes her feel inferior and silences every voice of protest in her. So the acts must be put to an end for the girl child to be and feel free.
Lastly, as said by Dianna Hardy “It only takes one voice, at the right pitch, to start an avalanche”. Girl empowerment programmes should be held and centres built; centres that empower them with skills, exposure, experience and knowledge. It will allow them to share their stories with the world and hear the encouraging stories of others. Malala Yousafzai has created a trail for others to follow by being the founder of Malala Fund, an international, non-profit organization that fights for girls’ education. By doing this, we will be getting everyone involved in working for a world where the girl child is valued as much as the boy child, a world where the girl child can learn and lead, a world where the girl child has an equal future.
I conclude my essay with a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley “Let our voices be heard. I hope they will not be shrill voices, but, I hope we shall speak with such conviction that those to whom we speak shall know of the strength of our feeling and the sincerity of our effort”. My voice is the stepping stone to the future we want, an equal future.
Afoma Egwuatu
