Dearest Gentle Reader,
Indulge me for a moment as today’s blog is slightly longer than our regular entries. Blame it on two overly passionate writers and a topic far too important to be trimmed down.
Today, we’re exploring. We’re diving into the world of rights, the world of you and I.
People talk about rights all the time. They give the textbook definition: “Human rights are inalienable rights inherent to man”. But I put it to you, human rights aren’t just laws written neatly on paper, they are the promises we owe one another. The question is: are we keeping those promises?
Dearest reader, I do not intend to bore you with legal jargon nor do I intend to do anything but rant, but a probing issue is that you see, when we speak of promises, we must also speak of the people to whom these promises matter the most. We must see what it truly means to have rights, and rights not just on paper. We need to understand that it’s not just about grand declarations or international conventions. It’s about real people whose lives are shaped, sometimes protected, and even sometimes limited by how these rights are understood and applied.
Think about persons living with disabilities. Their daily reality is a quiet reminder that society often designs itself for only one kind of body, one kind of mind, one that doesn’t necessarily include them at all times. For example a person confined in a wheelchair unable to attend an event because the means were not made available. Just stairs, no slope. But rights demand better. They insist that accessibility, inclusion, and respect are not optional extras we sprinkle in just when convenient; they are essentials. A ramp isn’t charity. Braille isn’t a favour. Equal opportunity isn’t a blessing. These things are rights, full stop! Asides these, rights go beyond ramps, sign language interpreters, or modified examination halls. It includes rights that speak to dignity; the simple, fundamental truth that society must not merely accommodate them, but must embrace them. It means creating a world where accessibility isn’t a favour, but a norm; where opportunities aren’t filtered through the lens of ability, but through the potential that lies within every individual.
Then we look to minorities. Not just minority in number, but minority in voice. Those whose existence is constantly negotiated in the shadows of louder, dominant groups. Minorities teach us something important: that equality doesn’t always mean treating everyone the same. Sometimes, it means giving extra protection, louder representation, and deliberate space so that no group is swallowed by the silence of the majority. Their rights whisper a truth we sometimes ignore; equality means protection, sometimes, it means amplification, and other times, it means stepping back so someone else can finally be seen. It means considering even the smallest.
And we cannot forget indigenous peoples as their rights sit at the intersection of memory and identity. They remind us that history didn’t begin when we arrived; it began long before, in cultures and communities that carry wisdom, land, and tradition like heirlooms. Protecting indigenous rights isn’t just a legal duty but rather an act of respect. A way of saying, “Your story matters. Your land matters. Your voice matters.” For these people, right is more than just social inclusion, it is acknowledging that human dignity extends across generations, and not being time bound, thus, these rights should not be trampled or looked upon as lesser rights.
Very recently someone told me that behind every woman’s success is a man. This hypothetical man funds her lifestyle and is the reason she has made any sort of progress in life. He went on to say that women on their own are extremely useless without the backing of a man. He gave a scenario that if a policewoman came in at that moment to arrest the men in that place, they would beat her up. However, if it was a man, they would follow him to the police station with no questions asked. Women are supposed to be just caregivers, homemakers or sex objects; lacking financial, physical, sexual and even mental autonomy. They are the ‘weaker sex’ and as a result are automatically less than men. We live in a society where it is okay to harass women unprovoked without consequences. Women’s rights continue to be infringed upon as a result of gender-based violence, misogyny and even certain harmful traditional practices.
Women have just as many rights as men do and deserve to be treated as equals. Random men groping a woman in the market is assault. Circulating harmful assumptions about a woman is defamation. Rape can happen even within romantic relationships. The girl child has a future outside of marriage. No man is entitled to a woman’s body. Women should get the same pay as men if the value of work is equal. Violence against women should not be normalised. Women have legal rights to life, safety, respect and basic human dignity. So, moving forward, let us all play our little part in ensuring the safety of women and girls everywhere. Do not “it’s not that deep” your way out of conversations that incite harm against women. Don’t ignore discussions about feminism. Call abusers what they are, and unlearn that unconscious gender bias. A world where women’s rights are enabled is a happier world for everyone involved.
Although the Nigerian society claims to be quite progressive as a result of various social changes, it is still inherently conservative, traditional and old-fashioned. Because of this, minority groups such as queer people, religious converts/people who leave dominant religions and their communities remain heavily marginalised and discriminated against. Basically any individual who lives a non-traditional lifestyle, whether in terms of religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or self-expression, is immediately regarded as ‘abnormal’. There is very obvious hatred against people confident enough to have an identity outside of typical norms. Nobody should have to exist in a society where they are plagued with constant fear, repeatedly looking over their shoulders because of who they are.
You would think the state of affairs and the poor economy would make people focus on their work and get their money up, right? Wrong! Many people continue to stick their noses in queer and alternative communities where they have absolutely zero business. If you as a person do not agree with certain things, face what you do agree with. It really is that simple. However, these communities continue to experience extreme levels of stigma and discrimination, hostility, safety concerns, cultural or religious policing, pressure to hide their identity and finally, the most extreme which is hate crime; even going as far as luring, kidnapping and assaulting innocent people unprovoked. Every Nigerian citizen is entitled to certain basic fundamental rights, regardless of gender or identity. This includes the right to life, dignity and human person.
Marginalised communities have the same rights as any other person and are entitled to be treated as such. Nobody deserves harm because of who they are, who they love and how they live; especially if this does not harm anybody in any way or form. People who do not fit society’s set standard have always existed and will continue to exist. Your personal beliefs do not police other people. You may not agree or even support everyone’s choices and that’s fine. What is not fine though, is bullying, harassment or discrimination in any form. Violence and violation of rights does not start from actual killings,it starts small; from that ‘funny’ skit that you know made you uncomfortable, but you laughed off, to bullying, constant harassment, hate speech and eventually hate crime. Human rights are not just a suggestion, they are inherent entitlements that cannot be taken away. Most importantly, let us all learn to treat each other with kindness.