Women

The Branded Woman: Any Relevance?

Published

14 years ago

January 10, 2010

A brand is a particular product, label, or a trademark. A form of identification that differentiates a product from others. A brand has something that distinguishes it, such that the difference is clearly perceptible, understandable and unmistakable; that gives it a distinct quality and recognition.

From a packaged goods approach, real manufacturer’s outlook is that of offering a product (brand) and radically improving it in order to remain relevant in the market place. Marketing companies usually have a particular market positioning; for example, Coca-cola is the “clear leader” in soft drinks production and sales, compared to other competitors. And whenever a new brand is added there is a repositioning, offering new choices, opening a sales window to the companies biggest profit windows. Targeting to sell in more and more stores.

The emphasis is on making more products, more easily, more consistent and more profitable Eddie Binders, (Brand Builders).

However in another sense, branding can be derogatory. According to the Oxford Dictionary, it can also mean to ‘stigmatise’ such as when a person is branded a liar, a prostitute etc. It can be a short classifying phrase and a name applied to a person. Sort of name calling. This is where the typical traditional Nigerian woman has been placed in society. She has been branded a ‘baby making machine’, a ‘domestic servant,’ a ‘prostitute’, a ‘husband murderer’, a ‘fetish woman’, a ‘witch’, a ‘bitch’. All of these and more are the brand names of a woman in the Nigerian society. These names sum up the burden women face.

Recognising this, the Civil Liberties Organisation, an NGO in Nigeria has said, “The discriminatory burdens placed on women include those of chastity, of making marriage work at all cost, of fertility and fertility control, and the ‘good’ children and to mourn the husbands to the state and dictate of his relatives. Compared to men, the Nigerian society treats the woman as a little better than beasts of burden ..”

The Nigerian woman has been stigmatised and discriminated against for ages. She has been denied the fundamental human rights of equality to man, denied access to economic power, land and capital; denied access to education, denied access to credit, denied access to political participation, access to make contribution to governance and deprived of her intrinsic worth as a woman. Indeed, she has been subjected to all forms of obnoxious practices.

The UNDP’s Human Development Report (HDR) states that, “70 per cent of the world’s 1.3 million people living in poverty are women. Illiterate women outnumber men by two to one, and 60 per cent of 130 million children not receiving primary education are girls. Women work longer hours than men but roughly two-thirds of their work is unpaid (compared to one-third of men’s working time). “Women’s under or unpaid labour”, claims United Nations Development Programme, “represents some USS 11 trillion each year”.

“Women generally lack access to credit. They are also under-represented in public life, since men hold 90 per cent of cabinet positions”, -Oxfam.

The above reveals the subservience of womanhood the world over. But the woman is a rare breed, rare specie, a brand and, an improved brand for that matter. Women have so much potentials, a basic understanding of these innate abilities and potentials places them on the pedestal where women should be, away from the prejudices, biases, roles, and unrealistic expectations of the world.

Women, carry the burden of the noble responsibility of motherhood homemakers, as builders, as entrepreneurs. The woman is overloaded. Women should discover and make full use of their God-given potentials. That is what God wants them to be.

The UN is calling for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, in the last decade the attention has been on how to stamp out Violence Against Women (VAW), some authors and researchers and women activists are looking at what women can do and advocating that women be given their rights and chance. Yet others are drawing attention to the purpose, power and influence of women.

I must say at this point that there are efforts by the Nigerian government of today and society, and the world at large, to make life better for women, making provision for them to participate and contribute their own quota to growth and development. But they can do more. Governments, men and all who understand the potentials of women can do more to promote their development initiatives and alleviate their sufferings.

Most importantly, women can do better for themselves by looking inwards into their innate potentials and seeking for ways to add value and dignity to womanhood and society. This is a human-centred approach to solving the prevalent problem of violence against women. Women should strive for strategic positioning for total relevance. This calls for deep introspection, articulation and clear identification of the inherent potentials, which when harnessed carve a niche, and place them in the collective scheme of things. By carving this niche, the woman becomes a brand of her unique self, indispensable and relevant. She knows where she stands, who she is and what she can do to impact herself, womanhood and the society in general. At this point, she is making a difference and contributing to growth and development globally.

Her value as a woman can be branded. This brand sells, attracts patronage and constantly being improved, she becomes needed, indispensable and profitable. Then, she can hardly be relegated to the background. This is the branded woman that is relevant in society.

Gloria Ken-Idehen

Women

The Wise Woman

Published

2 weeks ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

The wise woman builds her home. Mothers are supposed to live exemplary lives. The roles of mothers in the building of the modern Christian home cannot be overemphasized.
The function of the mother is to help the man build the home. She is a helper. A helper to the husband when the man is not doing well. It is important for the wise woman to assist when the man is not able to meet up with the items needed in the home.
A wise woman needs to reference God first and then the husband. Also the wise woman should respect her husband.
Caring for her own children as well as others is very crucial.
Do not despise children from other mothers. Discipline the child who is going the wrong way.
Ensure family bonding, show love and don’t discriminate. Connection with children is very important, especially the females. Find out who is her friend. Also find out the kind of lives they live. Caution, counsel and guide so that they make good partners.
Teaching children the dos and donts should start from birth. Inculcate the word of God in them so that when they grow, will not depart from it.
From the Scripture, some women influenced their families positively. Virgin Mary influenced the world, she never destroyed herself hence she gave birth to Jesus Christ.
Elizabeth, despite her age, God blessed her as she waited patiently.
A wise should curb favouritism in the family and love children equally. Whether a child is your biological child or not, it is necessary to show love equally. Reprimanding the children should be the function of both man and wife.

Women

The Desire Of Every Woman In Marriage

Published

2 weeks ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

Marriage is beautiful when there is love. Before and after marriage, couples show love to themselves. But you discover that after some years, that same love turn to be something else. A lot of people start going through emotional trauma in the hands of their loved spouses.
There are many things the woman desires to keep the love on as far as marriage is concerned.
Women are blesssed with feminine abilities that can be used for good in husbands lives. With your abilities, you can create a marriage that will last till couples get old.
A woman needs
man that is honest, trustworthy, nice, loving and financially stable.
There are no two ways about finance in marriage. No matter the level of love, if there is no reasonable finance, it is always difficult to manage the home.
Referring to the Biblical belief in Genesis 3: “Your desire shall be unto you…….. “
What this means is that whatever the woman desires in life shall be provided as far as she performs her role in her home. There are many things the woman expects her husband to take care of.
A woman wants a husband that is not lazy, at least helping to do one or two things when he is at home.
A man that is educated and intelligent so that they will transfer such traits to their children.
Knowing that there are traits that her husband has, traits of taking care of people, giving freely to people and caring for her family. She expects him to exhibit them.
A woman wants to love a husband that has family interest at heart. A man that spends time with his family, remembering his family even as he is away from home.
No matter where he finds himself, he is not destracted by external influence. He returns home to his loved ones.
A woman should not antagonise her husband because of one error or the other. No matter the level of offence he may have committed, you still show some love.
According to the Scripture, it is with wisdom that a woman builds her home. As far as he rreturns home, you accept him as your own.
It is not as if the woman will not monitor her husband, but to certain limit. Don’t be a monitoring spirit. Don’t allow anything to take your joy.
Don’t loose trust in your husband. The idea of checking your husband’s phone should be discouraged. The more you check your husband and his phone, the more you loose your joy.
You can show some form of jealousy, but to an extent. Cooperation, respect and being honoured from time to time is what the woman desires.
The home should not be a battle ground for a woman and man. A woman should be able to ask herself if the check on her husband will pay her any good.
Draw a line to a point where you checkmate your husband’s activities.
A woman wants a man that will love her and telling her you love her will be all she desires.

Women

The Desire Of Every Woman In Marriage

Published

1 month ago

April 5, 2024

The Tide

A woman needs a man that is honest, trustworthy, nice, loving and financially stable.
There are no two ways about finance in marriage. No matter the level of love, If there is no money, it is always difficult.

Referring to the Biblical belief in Genesis 3:Your desire shall be unto you……..
That is one aspect the woman expects her husband to take care of.
A woman wants a husband that is not lazy, at least helping to do one or two things. A man that is educated and intelligent.
She knows that there is a trait that her husband has. Traits of taking care of people, giving freely to people and caring for her family.
A woman wants to love a husband that has family interest at heart. A man that spends time with his family, remembering his family even as he is away from home.
A woman should not antagonise her husband because of one error or the other. No matter the level of offence he may have committed, you still show some love.

According to the Scripture, it is with wisdom that the women builds her home.
It is not as if the woman will not monitor her husband, but to certain limit. Don’t be a monitoring spirit. Don’t allow anything to take your joy.
Don’t loose trust in your husband.
The idea of checking your husband’s phone should be discouraged. The more you check your husband and his phone, the more you loose your joy.

The home should not be a battle ground for a woman and man. A woman should be able to ask herself if the check on her husband will pay her any good.
Draw a line to a point where you checkmate your husband’s activities.
A woman wants a man that will love her and telling her you love her will be all she desires.