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There used to be an apocalyptic reggae song by the Trinbagonian Lord Laro titled Women Rule. The song was a satirical attack on how men have run the world so far and the drama that will ensue when women take charge.
The hook of the song goes something like: Imagine, men washing the dishes, women going to work, and your wife siddon (sitting on) in the wrong bar and cracking them dirty jokes; imagine, you have a wild woman, luck she running ‘bout wild, you bring she up for maintenance and she sayin she I need a child, imagine.
Like most artistes from Trinidad and Tobago, Lord Laro is a humourist who makes sense by trivialising social contexts. But he makes sense all the time. One can say the song was prophetic, going by what is happening around the world, not in the trivial sense, but in a serious, revolutionary, life-changing sense.
Last year, two countries that met in the World Cup final in Brazil, as well as the host, are run by women. And capable women at that. Now, the world watches with bated breath as Hillary Clinton makes a stab at the presidency, literally teetering on the edge of making history, should she become the first female president of the world’s only super power. Great stuff.
As a cultural observer, I can attest to the fact that women are moving mountains.
In the boardroom, there are more women climbing the corporate ladder on merit, not on their ability to showcase their skin and confuse randy male bosses. Everyday, I am confronted with women, so bright, spontaneous and mentally agile, which makes me proud to be a Kenyan.
During his visit to the country, Obama powerfully reminded us about the significance of educating and empowering women.
While our values might be at variance with those of the West, nothing instils so much hope in me than meeting a Kenyan lady who has ‘eaten books,’ but still remains true to African values (the good ones of course, not those who stay with wife batterers in the name of love).
There is a silent revolution going on in villages, open market stalls, schools, universities, the corporate world, the streets, business. Everywhere.
In universities today, there are more girls taking the risk of cheating in exams than boys. I am not saying that women are stupid or anything like that.
For me, it is the fiery ambition and willingness to stop at nothing on the way to prosperity that I find exciting. Women value success more than we do. While the men sit outside the library admiring their backsides, they stroll into the library to study for their second degrees.
Even sugar daddies recently have learnt that the day of dishing out toys, goodies and money are over. Younger women, even the worldliest ones, will demand that you set up a business for them or pay for some diploma before they let you test the ‘cookie.’
More and more women value independence than dependence. Some men might disagree, but the next 20 years might churn out more contented single mothers or women who are totally averse to male bullsh*t than ever before. Which to me is a good thing.
I hate meeting a woman who is miserable because of a man. I like women who march on when a man proves to be a monumental pr*ck. I like women who are capable of making good decisions without being destructive.
I think men are getting tired of running the world. The lethargy we display today is a product of the more than 6,000 years of being at the top.
As we relinquish power to women in the coming decades, centuries and millennia, we wish them the very best trying to make sense of human beings and the planet. At least we tried.
@nyanchwani
