Misconception About Fifty-Fifty
Friday 24th November 2006

The concept of ‘fifty-fifty’ is being misunderstood and misinterpreted by many people, who believe that it is a western ideology for women to constantly challenge their husbands on anything and everything, for ideological reasons. Well, not all women agree with this stance. And it is also unfair to accuse women activists of being in the forefront of this ‘fifty-fifty’ issue, yes! But what they (women activists) mean by their stance is different from what many people are taking it to mean.

I think it is better for people to know about the whole idea about something before speculating about it, because the idea that ‘fifty-fifty’ is to challenge one’s husband unduly, is indeed a misconception.

In fact what is being advocated by activists under the ‘fifty-fifty’ slogan, is equal rights between the sexes: equal rights to education, health, decision-making, inheritance, leadership, and so on. This has been fought because there has been the belief that only a boy child should receive an advanced education while the girl child should be at home helping her mother on domestic chores. After all, this attitude has been based merely on prejudice rather than on reason and justice.

The truth is that both sexes are equally entitled to health care, to advanced education, to inheritance, and all other matters.

In leadership, women should be given equal opportunity as veritable and dependable partners in development. To deny women access to some leadership positions on basis of sex, is stark discrimination, which should be fought tooth and nail. I believe this is what activists really mean by the ‘fifty-fifty’ slogan. Still on the subject of leadership, we have many responsible and substantive women in this country and the world in general; a fact that speaks clearly for giving women a ‘fifty-fifty’chance, as advocated by women activists.

Finally, let me assure everyone that women can be great problem-solvers, even more so than their male counterparts; they are very capable of making superior decisions, and tactfully dealing with delicate, difficult, or sensitive situations. But first, they should be given the opportunity!