Justice and equality are concomitant elements needed in the good management of a home, a community, and a country at large. Their collaboration breed selflessness, unity, affection, and love. Inequality is a harmful aspect of living in families and in society. It is one of the most serious but least talked about issues faced by families, communities, society, and government.
Inequality is a state where people are not given equal chance, are not treated fairly, and are being discriminated against. Inequality is best described in the disparity between the rich and the poor. This has caused more harm than poverty in the society and has generated sentiments that could fuel unrest and agitation in any setting. Inequality is found in areas like gender, origin, age, class, disability, ethnicity, and religion. There are divides in these areas that bring complex mix of internal and external issues in the society.
Inequality is first witnessed at home. Enmity and jealousy between siblings, which sometimes go to the limits of them harming eachother starts from injustice, inequality, and partiality by parents while raising their children. Some parents don’t treat all their children equally. They show preference to a particular child or some children and demonstrate different feelings of love and affection to them more than the others. They give unequal treatment to their children when they praise or punish them. When these children grow up, they don’t need to look far to recognize the inequality they experienced at home, especially those that were hardly confronted. Delivering justice and equality at home is one of the most rewarding form of parenting.
Children who experience discrimination at home grew up being used to inequality and they consciously or unconsciously exert it to their siblings, their classmates, their colleagues, their friends and other people in their circle. A child that discriminates in family status, gender, class, ability, ethnicity, and religion learnt such from home or school or both. This inequality gap fosters exclusion and segregation, and the victims are limited from exercising and claiming their civil, economic, political, social, and cultural rights.
Outside the home, any institution, sector or government agenda that teaches sustainable peace and development must start with the right of everybody to enjoy equal access to opportunity in the family, social, cultural, and political context. Equal opportunity, equal condition, and equal consideration must be given to everybody in different spheres of life.
Children and youths must be given equal opportunity, equal guidance, equal rules, and conditions in school to develop both intellectually and socially. This is a matter of utmost importance needed in upholding peace and unity in any given environment. A responsible nation is characterised by its ability to recognize the need to give their younger generation a decent life that is based on justice and equality for all.
Having stated these, it is no news that the concept of equal rights and opportunities is a mere fallacy in communities and countries across the globe. There is no equal consideration in any economic or socio-political sector. The mantra ‘leave no one behind ‘ has been replaced with ‘who do you know’. There are numerous dimensions of inequality that make confronting inequality and its alleviation improbable. The biggest fear and consequence of this, is the inter generational effects and impacts which often perpetuate deeper from one generation the next.
Young people need to understand equality, to be empowered to tackle prejudice and favouritism, to know their rights, how they should be treated, and how they should treat others. They need to take active steps to address issues of inequality where there is evidence of harassment, prejudice, and victimization at home and in schools. They need to reach a concensus on the movement for equal rights and opportunities in income, wealth, health, status, occupation, language, race, legal and social rights. They have every right to reach their full potential without being discriminated against, and they should sit up, demonstrate fairness, equality and inclusion positively.
Inequality is one of the products of corruption. If resources of a country are properly managed, there would be no poverty, and the problem of inequality will be partially addressed. Government has a greater responsibility when it comes to addressing issues of inequality. They must take meaningful steps to fight it at the political, income, educational, and social level.
BIBLE VERSE
Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism
PROVERB
Perfect love can not be without equality Scottish Proverb
RIDDLE
My first is equality, my second is inferiority, my whole is superiority
What am I?
Amara Ann Unachukwu
