Recently, I watched, for the third time or more, two films based on the events of April 1994 in Kigali, Rwanda; in which over a million Tutsis and a few Hutu sympathizers were killed. Watching the films again, this time, against the backdrop of the recent killings (or brutal be-headings of innocent citizens) by ‘Islamic militias’ (ISIS, AL-SHABAB or BOKO HARAM ) in the Middle East and Africa, I suddenly had an epiphany. It dawned on me that; somehow, women could have done more in suing for peace, in any of these instances; or better still, preventing such in the first place.
Women are known to be the custodian of the character mould that is essential for the making of every child into a mature adult with responsibilities. Thus, when we encounter adults who have become ‘twisted’ in their ways, one wonders where the problem lies; the mother or the society? When we come across the kind of horrors experienced in Rwanda back in 1994, or the kind of mind that be-headed the American and British soldiers in ISIS custody, in Syria, then, we wonder whether it was a woman who gave birth to these people and nurtured their minds.
There is no doubt that the role of a woman in the life of any child cannot be over emphasised. And the woman who plays the role actively will definitely get good rewards; a well rounded child, and a matured and respectable adult. However, in these days of economic downturn when women have to develop a career and pay more than usual attention to promoting the career, the homes and the children therein are suffering! The resultant effects are seen everywhere; loveless children and bitter adults who do not care a hoot about the life/lives of any other person. The solution is clear and the remedy is simple. But, is the woman ready to face the challenge? Is the society ready to compromise to help the woman tackle this problem? (Attempts to answer these questions and more will be a focus of another article, another day).
