I remember when we were in primary school; the emphasis was ever on the girl child. A girl, it was presumed was so much held back by the society that every attention needed to be given to her. Incentives were showered on the girl ‘who against all odds’ made it to the top ten. Never mind that there were conveniently no presents for the boy who topped the class. Back then all a girl ever needed to do to avoid punishment was to present her hands and like a clown swirl over the teacher while feigning pain. Of coz the men who tried that dint go far. We expected that without nagging not coz we considered it female empowerment as they called it but to prevent more damage on our sitting apparatuses.
The story dint improve when we graduated from high school .There were specially adjusted cut off points to make it to university coz of their extraneous factors that bedeviled them-just them. This was also influenced by the need for affirmative action to improve girl child education to improve stability and independence among the woman folk. The earliest effects of this are clearly manifested today. I remember the education officials would be in seventh heaven if a girl managed to beat the boys top the class. The teachers were congratulated for a good job well done. No attempt was made to explain the sudden shift –all that mattered was that the marginalized girl was at last securing a spot on the academic front at last! The dream of female liberation was finally getting realized. Nothing wrong with that you might be tempted to say.
Fast forward to today, the legislative assembly reserved fifty special seats for women! They are also not prohibited from vying for the other constituencies as well. It isn’t difficult to get the logic here. There is every need to increase the percentage of women lawmakers as dictated by our constitution.
You might be wondering why I trod you down this long history lane. My class recently held elections to elect the officials of the class’s benevolent fund. Due to the small nature of the class, the elections were held concurrently for the chair, treasurer and all the other posts. In a bid to ensure female representation, I presume, the results were hundred per cent female. It was only after the pole did we realize that it’s never about equality, it’s always about dominance. Lest I labeled a male chauvinist, I have nothing against improving the status of females in the society. They are our mothers, sisters and prospective significant others.
The underlying reason is that historically women haven’t been accorded equal opportunities as men. Nothing could be further from the truth. If these instances are anything to go by, extra attention has always been to them. In choice of toys and presents, jewellery, school shopping just to mention but a few, they have historically had the upper hand.
Shylock-a character in The Merchant of Venice-would have asked, ‘If you tickle us do we not laugh, if you pinch as do we not hurt, if you prick us do we not bleed?”The mantra of female enlightenment to rise against male tyranny is just but a ruse for female chauvinism. Yes, chauvinism! Chauvinism isn’t just limited to battery but all the other attempts to impose thoughts, feelings and way of thinking of on others.
Talking about battery hasn’t there been a surge in cases of domestic violence against men? Yes, I know it’s just in certain parts of this nation. What doesn’t strike me as a coincidence is the uncharacteristic silence of the ever vocal Maendeleo ya Wanawake. They haven’t publicly castigated their members for the sheer acts of barbarism and gross butchery, maiming, castration, scolding that have reached unprecedented heights. And even though the ladies from the good towns of Busia and Migori haven’t hit the limelight yet, they are secretly taking tips from the unfolding drama.
When I speak, I speak not only for myself but for the millions of men in this great republic who are hoodwinked by the’ niceness’ of the ladies every day. I speak for those who would rather save a damsel in distress than the man next door. I speak for the men in Nyeri who are forcefully being castrated at 50.
Am not of course saying we revert to the age old battle of supremacy where the winner is decided by a contest on the battle field. On the contrary, I believe ladies should be treated with the utmost respect and love. No gender is special than the other-there has to be a reason though why Adam was created first. And even though the females would like think they can do without men, the truth is that both sexes need each other. The only way females can be taken seriously is if they hold themselves to the same standards as everybody else and fight for their places. After all haven’t ladies like Sirleaf Ellen-Johnson done it before?
And when they finally use their numerical advantage to advance their course, let’s just hope that they will also accord men fifty special seats, you know just for being men.
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