Women hold a peaceful demonstration outside Harambee House on March 8, 2022, condemning an incident where a woman was harassed by bodaboda operators in Nairobi. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]
On Monday, a viral clip showed a number of hooligans, most of them boda boda riders, molesting a female motorist along Forest Road.
In broad daylight, they worked hard to strip her of her dignity. Less than 24 hours later, it is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women.
The world celebrates women: mothers, wives, sisters, girlfriends, friends. And men in the streets of Nairobi are happy to appreciate the women in their lives.
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A majority say their mothers deserve all the recognition and appreciation.
They brought us up and never once gave up on us, the respondents say.
Those who were brought up by their aunts or grandmothers have equal praise for their guardians. These women shaped the men into who they are today.
Wives are also appreciated; they offer companionship, friendship and support to the men.
“I want to appreciate my wife for bearing me children,” says a respondent.
Women are the originators of life; how they delicately hold life when it is new and fragile a thing of beauty and wonderment.
Girlfriends, female bosses and colleagues are also recognized.
But society still harbours stereotypes against women.
This is adopted from traditional societies that gave women diminished roles.
A respondent says that women are not the best timekeepers; apparently, they spend a lot of time focusing on their physical appearance, which often sees them get late for meetings and events.
Another says that women cannot be understood; they should just be accepted as they are. “They are complicated and sophisticated,” he says.
Some, however, concede that women’s increasing participation in activities previously believed to be predominantly male is proof of women’s limitless abilities.
Bus drivers and even conductors were in the past only male. Now, there are women in these jobs.
In spite of the beliefs pegged to patriarchy, men are confident women have a great role to play in society.
Hardworking women, those who take care of some of the bills and help families through economic hurdles, are lauded.
Women are also labelled as caring and easy to love. Some respondents even call them the best advisers, with one even saying that if a man wants to grow fast, they should marry.
Some still believe that men have not gotten used to living with empowered women.
The panacea will be to communicate clearly that women of today have shaken away the shackles of the past and are strong, competitive and capable of sitting at the same table with men and having equal say.
Happy International Women’s Day!?
