Just pause for a minute and meditate. Think of that moment when you used to shout mama,mama for any challenge you faced. Remember that warm embrace that our mums bestowed upon us every moment we thought the world was turning against us. Think of that single mother who sells vegetables in-order to educate her son. Again,think of those prayerful women of your church/mosque who will always pray and intervene in any matter of public good. Remember those illiterate women of your village who understand the value of education and will never miss to contribute their part in the pursuit of improving education. Yes,think about that.
This piece comes as a result of our collective failure. It is not to confine us to the world of meditation but to open our collective conscience on matters of women,their roles and place in the sea of humanity. It is to enable us have a sincere inspection and moral audit of ourselves. Just the same way a responsible father depends not on caning his son but on growing him intellectually.
A quick look into the just concluded Kenya elections shows a gloomy picture on women performance. Not even a single County elected a woman governor. All the 47 'mini-presidents' are men! Again on the counties,so far no woman has been elected a senator. It seems we are headed to a male-only senate. I think this is unacceptable. It is a total negation of the role of our mothers and sisters. Some may argue that this was the 'will of the people' to elect leaders of their choice. How do we define the will of the people? Does it mean exclusion of the weak and the voiceless? Is it a justification for the continued oppression of the powerless?
Methinks 'the will of the people' entails so many factors. It calls for a clear reading of history. It calls for appreciation of the weak and the voiceless as a component of us. It calls for inclusion and participation of all. It calls for application of conscience as basis for decision making,not just the respect of written laws. It demands equality and respect of others.
It is therefore imperative to admit that by not electing women, we negated our own existence. By not electing women,we reduced ourselves to donkeys and sheep. By not electing women,we indirectly abused our mothers and sisters. This is to be thankless. This is a slap on the face of our mothers.
It is foolhardy to show love to our mothers and castigate potential women leaders out there. By calling them names we commit the irreversible sin of turning against our mamas. I think it is time for all of us to engage in constructive dialogue on how to create political space for women. Doing this is the only way to escape the anger of our mothers. As you celebrate the victory of your preferred leader allow this message to sink into you. AND please meditate!
this Kenya need to be given time to learn on the importance of women in leadership...like the Turkana look down upon women as a good example even if you bring out elective sets they will definitely not win....i thank God and the Government for introducing women representative sets
ReplyDeleteIt is for this reason that all of us should stand up and give support to women in this critical time.To do this is not just an obligation but one way of paying back for the good deeds women have done to the world since the beginning of times.Siku njema ndugu yangu!
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