Word on the street is that Kenyan men have a career type when it comes to picking women who fall into the ‘wife material’ bracket.
Women who make the ‘wife material’ list usually fall under ‘nurturing’ professions from nurses, saloonists, teachers, small-scale business women (nothing too big or threatening to a man’s ego) to secretaries.
A good number even opt for women who do not work, stay-at-home wives. I have come to learn the misogynistic truth that often when a man says ‘wife material’ it involves a number of characteristics. It usually is a woman who is submissive, which according to the Kenyan man’s misguided definition means a woman with a doormat personality.
It in fact seems to be every Kenyan man’s fantasy to nab himself the long-suffering wife who sacrifices everything for him to be happy, even herself. The kind of woman who lets her man take advantage of her. Who can’t say no and ignores her own needs to meet his.
Apparently gender equality and democracy on the home front is not something men like to deal with.
So when it comes to picking a wife, a man will often go for a woman in a career path that is less intimidating, all in their search for the illusive and very twisted view of the submissive woman. Although much is written about the type of women a man should marry, nothing much exists about female professions that men abhor. So I did my research to find out which female careers make a Kenyan man’s blood run cold.
Kenyan men have come up with a template on what careers to avoid at all costs. In fact, certain career professions by women have been branded ‘code red’. Professions that are seen as a threat to marital bliss by the Kenyan man include: politician, journalist, lawyer, engineer, architect, public figure (actress, radio and television personality or musician), doctor and any extremely prosperous businesswoman.
Generally the above professions will have a man looking at you like you have three heads before quickly running in the opposite direction. Maybe it’s her power suit, or the fact that most men see women in such professions as trouble makers in the home with their unforgivable crime being demanding for democracy and gender equality in the home.
Often men label women in professions like journalism, politics and public figures as being sexually loose. Lawyers are deemed too arrogant or man haters, doctors have no time to cook ugali and PhD academics are too clever to listen to a man.
Truth is, Kenyan men are cowards and they do not want to have to compete for power in the home with an independent and exposed woman.
What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?