THROUGHOUT history, men have been under immense societal pressure to produce male heirs to carry on their names and legacies. This expectation has often led to strife, stress, and sometimes untoward actions. The preference for male heirs is deeply rooted in many societies, possibly stemming from the belief in male superiority.
Historically, patriarchal families believed that women were economically dependent on men and thus became their subjects as daughters married, lived in their husbands’ homes, and did not carry the responsibility of caring for their parents. Despite these societal norms, women have shown remarkable resilience, often challenging these beliefs and carving their paths in the face of reinforced societal norms and laws favouring men. This resilience is a source of inspiration and hope for a more equitable future.
Rural families with no sons were looked down upon. Sons were expected to carry on the family lineage, increase the family’s reputation, and protect the family’s interests. The lack of sons was a sign of humiliation and a curse. In some cultures, historical records document the practice of female infanticide. The Arabs, before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), were notorious for killing their female daughters.
In traditional Chinese society, the need to continue the family line, the assumption that sons have greater earning capacity, and the belief that men would care for the parents in old age conspired to make sons preferred over daughters.
In Hinduism, the desire for male children is every woman’s aspiration and is linked to their spirituality. It also reflects Bhuti’s intense longing for offspring, prompting him to undertake rigorous austerities.
Yet despite all this fixation on the male child, history has shown us that, in many instances, it was the female children who kept the names of their fathers or husbands alive long after they might have departed this world.
Many people know of Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to win it twice because she discovered radium and polonium, and Mother Theresa, known for her commitment to helping the poor, sick, abandoned, and dying. These women, along with others like Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, and Rosa Parks, who raised the consciousness of not only Black Americans but that of all people to the evils of racism, have left an indelible mark on society. Their achievements are not just a testament to the potential and power of women but a reason for all of us to take pride in their contributions, which have significantly shaped our world and influenced societal norms.
Known for her famous quote, “I was taught that the road to progress was neither quick nor easy”, Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to receive it twice (in Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911). She is still the only scientist to have won the Nobel Prize twice.
Cleopatra (69 BC—30 BC) was an educated, cultured polyglot and shrewd ruler who achieved great political success by signing alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, the most influential leaders of the time.
In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus and that contributed to the end of racial segregation. She became a symbol of the fight against racism in the United States and was recognised as the founder of the civil rights movement due to her fight for equality.
History will never forget Benazir Bhutto, the first elected female Muslim prime minister of an Islamic country, whose murder in 2007 shocked the world. Born to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a Pakistani lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the fourth president of Pakistan and later its ninth prime minister, she was one of four children consisting of two boys who kept her father’s name on the front burner.
What of Diana, Princess of Wales, arguably the most popular royalty in contemporary times? Born Diana Frances Spencer, she was a member of the British royal family, the first wife of King Charles III, and the mother of Princes William and Harry. By the time she died in 1997 at 36, her activism and glamour had made her an international icon, earning her enduring popularity.
Many women have extended their fathers’ legacies beyond what their male siblings could do or their husbands’ names beyond what sons could achieve. Such women are found in all aspects of human endeavour, from science to literature to politics. Their diverse and impactful achievements are a potent reminder and a reason to take pride in their contributions to history. Without a doubt, they have significantly shaped our world.
These women, who faced the challenge of maintaining their own identity in a patriarchal society, have shown remarkable strength and resilience in preserving and extending their fathers’ and husbands’ legacies. They have not just been passive recipients of these legacies but active contributors, shaping and expanding them in their own right.
Jacqueline Lee (Jackie) Kennedy Onassis is worthy of mention. An American writer, book editor, and socialite, she was named after her father, John Vernou “Black Jack” Bouvier III, a Wall Street stockbroker.
Even after her death, she remained one of the most popular and recognisable first ladies in American history. In 1999, she made the list of Gallup’s Most-Admired Men and Women of the 20th century, and surveys of historians conducted periodically by the Siena College Research Institute consistently ranked her among the most highly regarded American first ladies since 1982.
She later became known in the business world when she married her second husband, Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping magnate in 1968, who amassed the world’s largest privately-owned shipping fleet and was one of the world’s richest. She outlived both men and bore their names with dignity to her grave.
Then, here we have Dame Bianca Onoh-Ojukwu. Bianca Odinakachukwu Olivia Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a Nigerian politician, diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman, and beauty pageant winner. She has won multiple international pageant titles, including Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Miss Africa, and Miss Intercontinental. She is the daughter of Chief Christian Chukwuma Onoh, better known as CC Onoh, a former Governor of Anambra State. She later married Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, including protestations from her father.
You can search in vain for Onoh’s or Ojukwu’s sons who have achieved close to what their daughter or wife, respectively, have achieved.
Or Hadiza Bala Usman. Which other children of the respected, erudite, intellectually acclaimed Pan-Africanist professor of history do you know of?
Therefore, it is often not sons but daughters and wives that keep men’s memories fresh in a world that is quick to forget.
- Dr Gimba, anipr, is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Neptune Prime. His syndicated column, The Arbiter, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Mondays.