The Tragedy of Women’s Day

Women’s Day
Once again the ladies have it, another international day to celebrate the female race, allow me today to punch holes into our norm. Ontop of the many regulations that have been setup time and again to try upgrade the position of women in society, a day is added! It’s been a long time coming for the ladies, from the old days of only being seen and not heard, days of working all day with no compensation or appreciation. After centuries of being treated like property, traded to the highest bidder and at times given as an appeasement it isn’t hard to allow as much opportunity to the ladies; in whatever form this takes we(lemme say I) would comply.

And from that, the women we live with, interact and work with get their basis for justification for alot of the women empowerment movements and calls. UN regulations, Government regulations, slowly trickling into businesses’ ways of doing business, preferring to take up lady employees to men equally qualified and suddenly many ladies walk along the streets of Nairobi shouting for the freedom to wear as short a dress as they would want. Suddenly we see a face to the movement that has been gaining traction all this while. The movement gets an ominous face.

My fight comes with the skimpy dressed urbanite girls, who know too much about their rights and not a clue about lack of them. Yes! Those ones who are too quick to flaunt their perfectly formed asses and thighs exposed by long tight dresses adorned by a slit to the hips, and walk around the streets ready to pounce on anyone who would even think of pointing out the indecency. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some good eye candy, but there is something like overkill, even in these matters!

I am talking of the urbanite girls the ones who have been living in a cocoon specifically designed to protect girls from societal oppression and ensure their growth. The girls who grew up and found their battles fought and won, by the iron ladies of before. These girls who after realizing the chance to enjoy the toil of their predecessors would stand tall on the dais of equality and proclaim that they need more inclusion: more seats in parliament, more appreciation from their men, more intakes into schools, more liberty in work hours, more understanding in indecent dressing, more audience despite their quality of speech etc.

The whole purpose of gender equality movements is to build up where the society tramples on, the vision of it is not to cause a supremacy battle of the sexes but to build up one to at least reach the other. It simply means interventions like: lowered entry grades into schools on all levels, government subsidies on issues bringing down said gender and such. This is to enable girls from poor backgrounds, the ones prone to sale as brides to older men get access to an education and would be sponsored throughout the system. This wasn’t made for the benefit of the selfie-taking girls who decide studying hard is too beneath them and now would want their positions in schools assured because they are…… ! Shame! And leave out the boy-child heaving sand & stones all day to make his fees?
Movements to fight for girls’ fashion choices, where we go up & about upholding #MyDressMyChoice. This was used to lift the societal restriction of girls especially when it comes to clothing and was never made for those of our ladies willing to walk half naked in town to no one’s surprise. This was meant for girls forced to numb their sexuality! So I am continually baffled by the fortunate women who use this as an excuse to dress indecently in their comfortable urban jungles and spit back ‘MyDressMyChoice’ when pointed out.

Those ladies taking these movements and their benefits for granted and going as far as using them to push selfish agendas are destroying the spirit with which these were launched. Continually denuding the dignity and integrity of women in their foremost day to shine.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a lover, not a hater. I love my mother, sisters and have a myriad of lady friends(platonic friends ) I am all for development across the board and since women have received the shorter side of the stick I don’t mind the ones-in-a-while special consideration they receive. In my lifetime though I have questioned some of this special considerations awarded to certain individuals due to their gender. I am holding myself back from outrightly saying that is ‘Gender discrimination’ in itself, beacause apparently it omly is if a ladg is kn the receiving end. If you don’t think so you clearly have never been denied access to an institution of learning, a scholarship program or even a group just because the spaces have been held for ‘deserving ladies’

At the back of my mind, I hear certain women leaders shouting at me for writing the unthinkable. To them hold your horses for a while. All the women empowerment projects and talk to benefit them are to target the real needy women. Ladies in rural areas, those who live in abject poverty, those who are still under oppressive sovietal structures, those who go through FGM amd still forced into marriage in their mid teens, those who are pulled out of school to work on their farm because they are lesser beings who don’t deserve a descent education.

This is meant for needy ladies in remote areas like Dolodol, Wajir, Mandera, Hindi, Lamu, remote areas in Western Kenya, Eastern region. Areas still embracing oppressive traditions. These benefits are not for the pampered ladies in Nairobi enjoying their huge phones and selfie sticks, those who compete and succeed just as their male counterparts, probably better as they enjoy privileges due to their gender.

I would never complete this before mentioning the most disastrous part of women empowerment. The Gender Rule in our Parliament! Why would we as a people be forced to elect a woman just because we have to strike a certain balance?
Don’t we know good leaders?
Can’t we select wisely and freely?
Is this democracy a ruse?
A way to control our thoughtless selves to a certain direction. Are we so deluded with our differences that we have to force ourselves compromise on quality leadership for the sake of Gender Rule. If anyone would envision to be a leader, then they should fight it out on every level,not receive a boost on certain levels.

If this is permitted forever the girl child will be considered weak and will be handled as such and for the life of me I would never let my daughter expect to be treated as a weakling. Gender equity means I stand as equal as my fellow sister. This nation needs a serious change in perception. And probably the definition of Equality & Equity.

Concerned male Citizen.

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