Dedication: My late grandma who taught me to respect women.
Women worldwide and in particular developing world bear the hurdles of raising up families single handedly without assistant. Women are symbol of hope. When times are difficult they stand strong for the families. Women are the rock our lives.
Growing up in the Central Kenya near the beautiful Mt. Kenya the highest mountain in Kenya seemed to be normal. A boy child is expected to follow the fathers to the graze livestock or other male associated tasks. They are meant to be strong and tough. They are taught that girl child is a weaker sex and must be limited to the kitchen with other women.
My own biological father left us when we were young and my mum worked in the city as we grew up in the village.
Our grandma raised us and taught us what hard work was meant. She never ran away from responsibilities, when we were sent home due to unpaid school fees, she accompanied us to the school head and we are readmitted. She brought us together with my brother and two female cousins.
We did all household chores together without gender discrimination. We learnt to respect women at an early age.
Back in the village most men used to drink cheap liquor and were always intoxicated, the wives had to work hard to feed the families. They toiled in the land receiving meager wages but it was good enough for the day.
In my world, women have not been respected enough. In Fact they always have to fight their way in everything. They are considered weaker gender.
My experience taught me alot and i felt i must a be voice of reason. I knew i must fight to balance for better. I knew that equality for all is the only way. Gender balanced families are healthier. They have zero chances of experiencing Gender based violence.
Most drunkards used to fight and psychological abuse their wives. This still happen and it’s very sad.
It is common today in the village to find young men in drunken stupor lying in the roadside. It’s a behaviour inherited from their dads, who will save the women? We must be a voice of reason. A voice to the voiceless. A challenger of status quo.
Deadbeat dads are very common today in my world. Who will fight for the equal pay in my world like in Iceland? Time for status quo is up.
Men and boys must decide enough is enough and it’s time to challenge the norms. I believe that women and men are equal and i will fight every traditions or customs that reinforces we are not. it’s time for heforshe.
Patriarchy is our system where women are left out. Decisions which even concern women are done by men.
Toxic masculinity which has led men to harm women is the order of our society, but wait if we are not the voice of reason then who will?
They say boys will always be boys but i agree with Gillette that men/boys must be accountable to their decisions. Nobody should excuse bad behaviour. May God bless our women. As a feminist i shall use my voice and the available platform to challenge status quo.
We can do better.
