Stop treating women like special citizens

Could Kenyans be among the most segregation-oriented societies in the world?

As if the problem of tribalism is not enough, gender sectionalism is another form of discrimination that has taken root.

During the opening of a sacco to empower women recently, women leaders alleged that 50 per cent of men could access loans compared to three per cent of women.

Such allegations are just indirect calls for men to continue being isolated.

Could the Gender Minister tell us how many men in Kibera, Mathare, Mukuru, Korogocho, Ng’omong’o and other slums have access to such privileges?

It is unfortunate the boy child has borne the brunt of gender discrimination. Male youth have sensed they are unwanted by society thus many have chosen the route of self-destruction.

While some choose drugs and alcohol, the most desperate commit suicide by stopping police bullets.

Women have been fighting tooth and nail for one-third of State jobs to be reserved for them. But they have proved they are only keen on forming gender cocoons that cater for their interests.

After the West successfully entrenched negative ethnicity in our psyche, it is now perpetuating a discrimination agenda.

{Francis Waweru, via e-mail}

We appreciate that women are just as good as men at least in some things, but do not address the gender equality subject because of fear of being labelled incurable male chauvinists.

But what do you say of a feminist who believes the new constitution should provide parliamentary seats exclusively for women?

What appreciation is shown to women’s abilities if they can only be favoured to equal men?

What women need is somebody to encourage them to fully exploit their potential.

We could still have 30 per cent of civil servants being women without favouring them. Just employ purely on merit.

We can have a woman president who gets into State House by virtue of her character and other personal attributes, and not due to some gender equality fallacy.

If women showed the potential to represent the interests of the electorate, half of Parliament could just as easily be theirs.

But this is possible if they could only stop striking the ‘woiye’ pose of losers and fight like everybody else.

{Abraham Wangila, Kilifi}