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Then comes the age-old debate. It seems this question always arises when the words gender difference are mentioned. Are there jobs that men can do that women can’t or vice versa? There are as many answers to this question as there are people, yet no one can agree on a definite conclusion. To some people, it is a scientifically proven fact that men are more capable than women. Says one of our members Mr. Brian Kariuki, “…there is a reason why the women’s 100m record will never even come close to the men’s.” This is a very chauvinist comment, or is it? Why is it that from time immemorial what was considered the more physically straining work was given to the men? Obviously, these ideas had to stem from somewhere - could it be that men are stronger than women? If so, then doesn’t it stand to reason that things like construction work and security are better suited for men? However, the general response to this notion was that what women lack in brawn, they make up for in brains. According to one of our members, Ms. Njoki Ngure, that is the reason that “if the world was run by women there would be less wars. When men are confronted and opposed the first thing they think of is physical retaliation whereas women may quarrel but more often than not it is only verbal.” Ms. Ngure feels that because of this “women would exhaust peace talks and compromise and thus avoid wars that unfortunately have occurred in the past. Also, because of their natural care-giving personalities, child abuse would probably drop by 95%. Besides, women have lots of emotions but men have a lot of emotional problems. Women are called too emotional but what really happens is that they are more in touch with their emotions. Men, on the other hand, have emotional problems, they can’t even take control of the two or three emotions they do have. That is why women will always be better counselors and men often run away from responsibility; it involves a lot of emotions”.The fact is, much as we wouldn’t like to admit it, Kenya is still a long way from being anywhere close to gender equality. This is mainly because of the strong influence our culture has had on the way we think, respond and act on a day-to-day basis. This is primarily a good thing as we are able to hold on to important morals; many of which have been lost elsewhere due to the disintegration and eventual extinction of local cultures. However, our traditions have had a negative impact on the way we view difference in gender. Many times, women or girls are unfairly viewed as less capable or intellectual than their male counterparts.
We see this in the fact that women are often judged by their looks. This has become especially prevalent within the media, which has depicted bodily features such as ‘micro thin waists’ as mandatory for one to be considered beautiful. Often, this causes us (men and women alike) to consider body shape and facial features as a criterion for a woman’s worth. This means that the areas that really matter, like wits and intellect, are often neglected and women are viewed as good-looking domestic appliances as opposed to able-bodied, equal members of society.
A matter that is also brought to light in any discussion on gender inequality is the issue of adultery and promiscuity. Unfortunate as it is, these are things, irrespective of our beliefs or practices, which we meet with every day. What is so interesting about this topic is how it is regarded, especially in African society, in relation to gender. Whether we live in the ‘big city’ or deep in the most rural areas of our countries it is a generally accepted fact that a man or boy with multiple partners is ‘cool’ or ‘hip’. But how different it is for a woman, for we all know the horrid adjectives that follow a woman with multiple partners. ‘Cheap’, ‘loose’ and ‘tramp’ are words we have all come across, but how often in relation to a man?
The question of respect in particular fields also comes up. Is a male doctor more respected than a female one or vice versa? The unfortunate truth is that although many women manage to reach their desired goals career-wise, the fight to receive respect and acceptance in their respective fields will always be an ongoing struggle. The preparation for a discussion on Gender differences by the Kenyan delegation stated that, “Sometimes, the male students will not respect their female teacher…and will also have a bit of rivalry with their male teachers in their ambition to be better.” This statement supports the idea that attaining one’s goal and receiving the esteem that one deserves for achieving it are two very dissimilar things.
Perhaps something that should have been mentioned initially was the right to education. Although education, according to the UN and to Kenyan law, is a right all children are entitled to, it remains just that. A right. Alas, here in Kenya, there is a big difference between the law of the land and the law of society. According to the law of the land, all children have a right to education irrespective of their gender. Unfortunately, that law is not backed up by the current economic status of our country. Many families cannot afford to send all their children to school. So, we follow the law of society: “Educate boys at all cost and only deal with girls’ education when there is money to spare.”
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Thomas Igeme
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