22/01/2025
THINKING OUT LOUD
I have disdain and baked abhorrence for men who are biased or prejudiced against women.
Typical male chauvinists who believe what a man can do no woman can ever do.. It is men power bigotry that was rampant some decades back but since women woke up from their deep slumber and started proving themselves in various fields predominated by men previously, this mistaken thinking has changed. There has been paradigm shift in the fight for the rightful place of women in the society. We have women representation in every sphere of life. In all professions women are significantly represented not through placement for gender balance purpose but by ability, capacity and qualification. Practically in every profession especially here in Kenya where I am more conversant, women have comfortably moved in to claim their slots as of right. The much published gender equality was touted the equaliser and the tool to awaken women to fight for gender balance of some sort but somehow nature has quickly moved in to strike balance. Not much was achieved because on insincerity in men.
Women have been victims of gender biased cultural practices which the government has with some success tried to
discourage, eradicate outlaw and forcefully block. All this practices serve to benefit egoistic men. A man at 70 years want to marry a school of twelve years because he is rich and can pay dowry. It is outlawed for an aged woman to marry a young man in school. Why. Early forced marriages have been fought furiously and women have clawed back their choice of time and the person to marry. Freedom from traditional ge***al mutilation is now a reality. Women from such communities now have amble time for acquisition of education and skills from learning institutions that will free them from the yoke cultural archaic practices that have no place in the modern world. We must laud women for the steps they have made on their own and others through gender tailored and purposefully enacted legislation. Women are now occupying elective seats we previously never imagined. We have women MCAs, MPs. Governors and Senators. In many institutions we have women at the helm who have performed excellently.
The biggest problem is men who always are too judgemental on women. From the onset even before, fair, impartial, unbiased and authentic assessment, the woman is presumed to have failed and performed below par. The man in the same assessment and by comparison by virtue of gender superiority already is above average. That is where we fail. All these men that you see in very senior positions were conceived, born, brought up and educated by women. Some single handedly because of paternal neglect and irresponsibility or single parentage. Women go through and endure a lot. They have the wherewithal and temerity that men lack. They are so strong willed and they never give up unlike men. No man would carry a pregnancy to full term. No man would juggle baby sitting and demanding work schedules. You will need to pin a man to the ground to the express milk from him. Perhaps at gun point. Don't talk about menstrual hygiene. Men can't cope.
When somebody says all women Governors have failed what does that mean.
This fixed negative mentality should change. It is disgusting, horrible, stone age and misplaced. Global condemnation that is not hinged on any facts and figures.
Women are so disadvantaged because they have to prove how and where they have succeeded while men do not need to because it is evident at a glance. I will walk away with a bullet in my head when I say women Governors despite our biases and prejudices have performed better than male Governors. For a start they beat men at the ballot. They have not broken down this far despite all the s*x based impediments placed ahead of them by men.
Closer at home take a keen and fair examination and evaluation of Governor Wavinya.
With all the negativity, propaganda, red eyed oppositionists on the way, naysayers and cynics she is still boldly soldiering on. She has delivered so far contrary to expectations. We use a different yard stick to measure her success and conveniently ignore everything good she has done yet all the benefits are enjoyed by all equally.
A good number of the sitting women Governors will retain their seats and others will perhaps be elected.
God will in a way push gender balance agenda against the wish of chauvinistic men. Just a reminder quoted from a women YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa Young African Leaders Forum - YALF Conservation Leadership Programme Global Development Youth Leaders- GDYL Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA) Joe Kamolo Mtu Green Ukambani Hon. Joyce Kamene Kasimbi NTV Kenya Citizen TV Kenya CNN UN Women Africa - ONU Femmes Afrique UN Women
