By Faith Chondol
Left-handed people in Plateau State have called for an end to discrimination and cultural misconceptions against people who naturally use their left hands.
The advocates made the call in separate interviews with The Nigeria Times in Jos the State Capital as part of activities marking International Left-Handers Day.
Yemi Mathew, a left-handed advocate, said one of the major challenges faced by left-handed people was the perception that using the left hand was taboo or disrespectful.
“Sometimes, when I want to give something to someone with my left hand, they see it as a taboo or disrespectful,” Mathew said.
He said the perception had created unnecessary stigma, particularly when left-handed people gave or received items with their naturally preferred hand.
Mathew also identified schools as another environment where left-handed people faced discrimination, saying some teachers forced children who wrote with their left hands to use their right hands.
According to him, such practices could affect children’s confidence and make them uncomfortable with their natural hand preference.
He called on the government to strengthen public education and awareness on left-handedness to discourage discrimination and promote greater understanding.
Mathew also urged parents, teachers and community leaders to support left-handed children rather than forcing them to change their natural hand preference.
Similarly, Sunny Dung, Chairman of the Lefties Development Support Initiative, described left-handedness as a natural human variation that should not be regarded as a taboo.
Dung said left-handed people should be treated with dignity and allowed to use whichever hand was natural and comfortable for them.
He called on religious leaders to educate their followers about misconceptions surrounding left-handedness and discourage practices that stigmatise people based on their hand preference.
Dung also urged the government to develop policies that would protect children from discrimination based on their natural hand preference.
He said increased public awareness would help reduce cultural misconceptions and promote inclusion in schools and communities.
The advocates called for greater acceptance of left-handed people, stressing that hand preference should not be used as a basis for discrimination, judgment or exclusion.
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