My name or yours?
Should women really change their names after marriage?
I watched this TV programme last week and it was about the issue of preference for male children by African men. Some people called in and were saying the usual stuff about how male children "carry on the family name" and all. And the host kept saying, "So what? What if he grows up to be a nuisance? What happens to the family name then?". I couldn't agree more!!
Yes! What if this child with the family name ends up becoming nothing more than a menace to society?? Down goes the family name!
What's in a name anyway?
Okay, is it about names? Then women, let's stop changing our names after we get married! I'm convinced that this might help to decrease the discrimination against female babies in Africa.
The idea came to me immediately after I watched the show. Then, I was convinced that that would put an end to all forms of discrimination against women worldwide. We would stick with the names we always had, so there would be no question about who is "carrying on the family name".
I realise now that I was too quick in jumping to the conclusion that this could end gender discrimination. Oh, I must have gotten very excited about the idea that day! How can that end gender discrimination altogether? It's a lot deeper than that!!
But anyway I believe it would help. At least we would resolve this issue of "carrying on the family name".
What's in a name anyway?
Men, do realise that you determine the sex of your child and not your wife. Women have only X-chromosomes. Men have both X and Y-chromosomes. If a man donates a Y-chromosome, a male child is born. (X + Y = XY). If he donates an X-chromosome, a female child is born. (X + X = XX). The determination of which chromosome is donated is totally by chance, and noone seems to have control over that. It's definitely not the woman's fault. As you can see for yourselves, it's more of the man's "fault", but even I wouldn't call it that. One, because the man can't even control which chromosome he gives out. And two, because it is not a "fault" - female babies are precious too.
Back to the issue at hand......Name or no name? One name or two? Women, what are we going to do?
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1/July/2001