Honey it’s a baby girl.

Right from the day she is born,  she will have to face an enemy called patriarchy so I think. She will be dressed in pink, ribbons at 2, a Barbie doll at 3, a Cinderella, beauty and the beast, Thumbelina at 5, Mills and Boon at 12 and Hollywood at 14. And when all this programming has been done, chances that she will be waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet are often high.

According to Siyanda, Patriarchy  been defined as a gendered power system. It is a network of social, political and economic relationships through which men dominate and control female labour, reproduction and sexuality as well as define women’s status, privileges and rights in a society.

Will this girl survive the catcalls, the male ego, and the labels? – Bitch, hoe, plus size, biological clock, cougar, exotic, pmsing, man-hater, diva, leggy, “Namwandu,” and Fat boy of Sanyu FM and his kind?

Shut up woman, how about those in the villages that are not exposed to all this? Most assuredly, the claws of culture are waiting for her to wean. The roles are defined- she will fetch water, will dig, will kneel for the elders, she will cook, she will be a nice girl, she will be taught how to sit properly, how to speak like a girl and even how to walk and then she will be picked up from her home; cows, goats, hens or money will be brought to her home and she will be taken away. And when the man is speaking he will probably say; I have a car, land and a wife.

How about when she goes against all these odds and is a judge or even a head of state, or all those high offices, will she be judged as a first class citizen, will she be judged by the content in her brain  rather than her being female? Will she speak up in parliament when elected to the August House or will she censor self- scared that the world will know her dark secret?

Yet the truth is like many bullies, patriarchy is just a scarecrow- appears big, has massive weapons but is a miserable coward. For what its worth, all the women that I have interacted with, exhibit great inner strength, have organized minds, easily cope with stress- I marvel at women that have babies and still make it to work on time and maintain a glow on their faces.

This is not to say that women are better than men, neither am I an advocate for matriarchy but that before the daggers are drawn, how about we ponder compatibility, how about women and men celebrate their differences, and acknowledge the notion that we were all created equal.

 

Prudence Nyamishana

@nyapru1