Growing up as a girl child, the notion I had was that marrying a good man was all I could achieve in life. My parents stressed the need to be a decent girl so a good man could marry me. There was no particular plan for my future as they had for my brothers. 

Yes, I went through primary and secondary school thanks to my parents but  for them it was just the right thing to do and they could at least afford it. I wasn't a priority to them like my brothers were. If for any reason anyone would not go to school for lack of finance or anything it would be me, no questioning.

After secondary education I was told by  my father that my dream of going to the University would only materialize if I was lucky enough to marry a man that was willing to send me. For my father, he couldn't train a girl that would be married off to another family and probably only be useful in the kitchen and bedroom.

Well, I eventually got admitted into the university and was abandoned by my father.  I struggled to make ends meet throughout my university days and this badly affected my grades but thankfully, I scaled through.

My point in telling this story is to bring to mind that there are still girls like me out there who are discriminated against by their own families, they are not allowed to dream and if they dare, their dreams are cut short. Women are made to work twice as hard to get whatever they desire and when they do have them, they are perceived to have been favoured and not by merit.

I still see young girls on the streets hawking to keep their brothers in school; I still see women shy away from leadership positions because they have been made to believe that leadership is for men; I still see young women battered, abused and subjected to all manner of hardship and inhumane conditions because they bought the notion that only marrying a man would complete them and make them useful.

We as women must start changing the narrative. We must put concerted effort to raise  more girls and women that would break barriers.

I through my organization am providing free education and entrepreneurial training for girls and young women in my space. We are raising economically vibrant women who are head of households.

My name is Christy Okoli and I am working tirelessly to see other women live their dreams and thrive in their spaces.