Competition Entry from a Violently Opinionated Teenager: Me

I was wading through my emails this morning and I came across this article I had sent in for a competition when I was 19. I did not get in – I don’t even think they got back to me. I had obviously scared the crap out of them with my gazillion (brackets) and DPMO attitude. LMAO. I have copied and pasted it below and haven’t touched a single thing.  Please enjoy! (I believe the topic was ‘How can men contribute to women development in the society?’)

I would like to start by pointing out that there is only so much a human being can do for the development of his fellow human being. People assisting each other is great. But it is, however, submitted that self-development or self-induced development is more effective than third-party-induced development and that a personal and inward determination and choice to be better is the best and most effective start towards development.

For this article, however, I would interpret the question ‘How can men contribute to women development in the society?’ to mean ‘What can men do to encourage (rather than discourage), assist (rather than prevent), believe (rather than mockingly doubt), persuade (rather than dissuade), provide (rather than deprive), motivate (rather than dampen spirits), allow (rather than impede), give (rather than take) and support (rather than oppose), the general progress and development of individual women and the female gender as a whole.

When I was younger, my father was very interested in my education. He would make me read during morning devotions and ask for my (obviously immaterial) contribution to discussions. Over the years, on my father’s loving corrections, affirmative nods and requests for everyone to ‘clap for her’, I built my confidence as an individual.

In these times, I think it is silly to still appeal to fathers to not only send their female children to school, but to also sincerely be interested in their education.

I also reckon that it is now trite and (hopefully) needless to ask men to quit domestic violence- verbal or physical, regard female children as they would regard male children (unlike one of my dad’s friends who when he asked if I was the last born and I replied, ‘No sir, I have a younger brother’, laughed at me and said, ‘My dear, that means you’re the last born’), gain knowledge on and be open to contraception and child-planning, encourage their female employees to be ambitious as they would encourage the male, and yes, engage in more domestic chores and tasks.

All these things can be expatiated on and discussed. But I submit that there are two ultimate things men can do contribute to women development.

The first is for the men themselves to teach the boys (through words and deeds) on how to recognize women as equally important and equally befitting of respect and to teach the girls that they are equally important and equally befitting of respect.

And the second is for the men to let the women just be who they are or want to be. She loves tech? Let her be techy. Football? Allow her. She’s ambitious? Cheer her on. There is a higher percentage that a bird would fly when its wings are not clipped.

In conclusion, women would not ‘develop’ unless they want to, but men would significantly contribute if they raise respectful sons and self-respecting daughters and if they allow (with no limitations) for the self- discovery and actualization of all women in their care; wives, daughters, employees.