SHOCKING EXPERIENCE AT A HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING

Being an activist, one of the safest places you could think of being at and express your views without fear or shame is at a human rights meeting. But that is not the case as I have come to realize.

Last Dec, 2013, a meeting was held in Buea, Cameroon, to commemorate the international human rights day. Focus were on “problems and challenges faced by activists and NGO'S” both at a personal and professional level in addressing illegal land crabbing, while proposing new strategies and suggestions to help deal with the violation of people’s and indigenous land owners rights.

On that faithful day, Dec 09, 2013, I had to take over my colleague and continue with the second segment of the meeting. She had briefed me on what was discussed prior to my coming and I had to talk about the dress code law that had been implemented by the state since she had not gotten the chance to raise up the issue. And there was no way we could have let the meeting pass without us being there to represent the biggest violation of women’s rights at the time which involved dress code policy and policing. An act which WFAC strongly criticizes and condemns; for a dress code policing gives rooms for police officers and other citizens to sexually harass girls, as well as verbally, emotionally and physically torture them.

When I arrived the meeting hall, first thing I discovered was that the place was filled mostly with men, all demonstrating such a huge interest towards protecting indigenous peoples’ land rights. Everyone was so passionate about contributing towards ending illegal land grabbing. Including, the chairperson for the meeting, who happened to be the Regional Coordinator for the National Human Rights Commission, also spoke so passionately about how he hates people being humiliated and robbed off their rights, and how he could fight tirelessly and endlessly to not let another person violate the rights of another.

Amazingly, when I brought up women’s rights; the case of street harassment and extortion of money under the pretext of implementing the dress code law; the atmosphere immediately turned into a tensed one. The same activists who claimed to be fighting for human rights changed their positions to being against. Almost all the men present in the room turned against me, speaking very loudly and disorderly, referring to views I could hardly expatiate on as ignorant, misleading and nonsensical.

It was my first time to be faced with such insanity. I am not sure I handled that situation very well. I tried to composed myself, but deep inside me I was bubbling with anxiety and could hardly talk with ease. At some point, I asked them how they expect to understand my point if they are not willing to give me the opportunity to express my views.

The boss then ordered everyone to give me the floor. As soon as I started talking, I got the same reaction which was an unwillingness to even listen or understand my views. I pushed forward, focusing on those that were close to hear me. Thank goodness everyone eventually joined in the discussion. I brought up the issue of street harassment; police street harassment and the overall problem with the dress code law/policing. My aim was to make them aware of issues facing young girls and women, like street/sexual harassment, police street/sexual harassment, Police street/sexual harassment, public torture, bribery and corruption, all under the pretext of implementing the dress code law. Also the fact that street/sexual harassment and violent acts such as rape do not happen because of how a woman is dressed.

For instance, I pointed out my friend had been harassed for dressing a way they considered indecent with the majority of the people seeing nothing wrong with her dressing. And to prove how confused those people [police] are when it comes to this. I shared with them an experience and observation, how I met some groups of police and they had no problem with me wearing a certain dress until I pointed out I was harassed because of my dressing. The same officer who had said I was decently dressed, said “maybe it is because of this”; pointing to my chest. Added to that, the officer proudly spoke about how they beat up indecently dressed individuals brought to their office.

In spite of all the examples, on how police officers now have the excuse or motives to justify their violent act towards an individual girls and women; how the dress code policing is another controlling agenda over women’s body, it was evident that the men present at the meeting, still couldn’t get my point. Instead, they went to tell me how the police officer who had no problem with my dressing likes me. Then, they started by scrutinizing my dressing which they considered decent. I was then asked why I was not indecently dressed and concluded I really know how to dress; wearing a long skirt and long sleeves top. Some even said how my ideas are misleading and not African.

Their conclusion was we do not dress in a way they considered indecent. Since my colleague had been detained and I had talked about both our experiences it was concluded it was an attempt by us to tease the police because we dress decently. They spoke as though they live with us to know and decide what we wear all the time. These brought up a whole new topic. It was said we “women” can plan for harassment to occur so that we can use it to sabotage them, [men]. Though it’s all known that policemen in our locality are the No1 groups of people to sexually harass and stalk women, especially those we are around “long street”, “Clark’s Quarter” & “Mutengene”. These guys will not stop catcalling and making sexual, obscene advances towards women. When I also told them police men are fun off touching a woman’s breast and other sexual body parts, they denied.

There was one human rights activist I was familiar with who seemed angry by my accusation and told me to never say something like that again. Interesting, the few women present at the meeting agree with me, some even said, they do not feel safe in the hands of police men because if you were put in their protection against rape, they will be the ones to turn around and rape you

Again, while we were discussing, some people were itchy to go and so they called for the attention of the boss. In order words, these activists meant that women’s issues are not human right issues and therefore not important.

It is sad that even those at the human rights office refuse to see women’s human rights and human rights. And it is things like these that contribute greatly in making Cameroon a backward country. Such attitudes and backward ideas retard development.

This piece is written by a guest contributor, member of WFAC, Ngwentah Berlyne. She writes about everything Feminism, Women's empowerment and Humanrights, from a young Cameroonian woman's perspective

How Most Things You Know About Feminists Are Vicious Conservative Lies

 This is a cross post from the Everyday Feminism Team, written by, Sandra & Melissa

Hi again!

You know, it's sometimes tough to tell people you're a feminist.  We've gotten a pretty bad reputation since the conservatives have done a very effective job of making feminism a “dirty word.”  They’ve kept people so focused on trying to not be a feminist so we don’t see all the sexist policies they're pushing.

 Here are a few popular quotes from popular conservative leaders:

“Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream.” – conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh

Feminism “encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians”  - television evangelist Pat Robertson

“Feminist is a bad word and everything they stand for is bad..Find out if your girlfriend is a feminist before you get too far into it. Some of them are pretty. They don’t all look like Bella Abzug.” – conservative activist and author Phyllis Schlafly
 
Misrepresentations of feminism are so powerful that many progressives and liberals today don’t necessarily want to self-identify as a feminist even when they believe in what feminism stands for.  They don’t want women or anyone else to be abused, raped, exploited and discriminated against.  They want all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, and class, be treated with respect and free to determine their own lives

As much as they believe in what feminism stands for, they still have difficulty thinking they’re a feminist becuase of all the stereotypes they've learned about from the aggressive smear campaign on feminism.

So let’s explore some commonly believed stereotypes of feminists.  We’ll tell you the truth.

• Feminists hate men and think women are better  - This is the biggest myth in the book and one that even some of the most educated, progressive people seem to think is true. Feminists stand against the sexism, exploitation, and oppression that society conditions us to perpetuate. That means both men AND women are raised to be prejudiced against women and limit what is possible for women to achieve. The point is to eradicate the sexist, exploitative, and oppressive thinking and action in both men and women – not eradicate men. Giving freedom and rights to women doesn’t take away those of men. This isn’t a zero-sum game where there has to be a winner and a loser. In fact, with feminism, we all win.

• Only women can be feminists - Anyone committed to ending sexism and oppression can be a feminist, including men. Just as white people can stand against racism, men can stand against sexism. To stop sexism, we must help men identify and let go of their sexist thinking and action. Feminism also supports men in freeing themselves from the limits of traditional male roles and conforming to the patriarchal definition of masculinity based on sexual prowess, physical strength, ability to fight, inability to express emotions, and being the breadwinner as the only role they can have in the family. Male feminists are encouraged and supported to break free from traditional roles and discover what gives them a happy, meaningful life. So not only can feminists be men, feminism needs men and men need feminism!

• Feminism only cares about women - Given its name, most people think feminism is a female thing but feminism is actually for everyone, not just women.  While feminism began focused more solely on issues related to being a women, women do not experience their lives as merely women but also as women of different races, classes, sexual orientation, and other groupings.  There was a backlash within the feminism movement who felt it overly represented issues of white, upper class women. This led to feminism expanding its focus to understanding how all these groupings of different power and privilege intersect to shape the everyday lives of women. Over time, this has led to seeing how essentially everyone – women, men, LGBTQ, people of color, poor, etc – is mistreated and exploited in socially acceptable ways due to their social status.  Frankly there's not a single person who isn't pushed and punished into fitting into a box by society. That's why feminism is about liberation for everyone.

• There’s no sexism so feminists aren’t needed anymore - There are some people who believe sexism is dead and feminism isn’t needed anymore.Things aren’t really that bad, people are just whining, or it’s just the way things are. But look around. We all know women and girls who have suffered from sexual assault, body image issues, street harassment, and domestic violence. Popular culture teaches our young daughters that they have to be skinny, wear skimpy clothing, be sexy but not slutty, and focus on their appearance and not their education . Some men still believe an attractive woman must want attention from men even if she says she doesn’t, judge a woman’s value based on how much they want to have sex with her, and treat women “like she’s just a girl”. Many men respect women but don’t know what to do when their friends begin cat-calling, when they see a friend taking advantage of a girl who has had too much to drink, or when they find out their girlfriend is a rape survivor or has experienced sexual violence. If sexism was dead and feminism wasn’t needed, then these things would not be happening. But they are. Don’t you want this to change?

• Feminists are angry and irrational people - Let’s look at one of the issues that feminists get angry about. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually molested by 18 years old. 1 in 4 women in college survive rape or attempted rape. 52% of gay men and lesbian women report at least one incident of coercion by a same-sex partner. 2 in 3 survivors will know the perpetrator. 54% of sexual assault crimes do not go reported. 97% of rapists don’t spend a single day in jail. The average prison sentence is 4 months. Heard enough? This is why feminists sometimes seem angry but we certainly are not irrational in why we’re angry. If we need to say it loudly and risk looking “angry” and “unladylike” in order to stand up for women, men, and children who are being raped, we will. Wouldn’t you?

• Feminists are all butch lesbians - There certainly are feminists who are butch lesbians and we’re proud of them. There are also certainly many feminists who are straight and look traditionally feminine and we’re proud of them too. In fact, we welcome and work with people of any stripe and shade who are fighting for equality and recognize the humanity in all people. Also we don’t appreciate using homophobia to scare women into thinking feminism isn’t for them.

• Feminists don’t shave their armpits or legs - Some do and some don’t but why do you care? A woman’s worth shouldn’t be judged by how hairless she is. It’s her choice. Just like a man who decides to shave his face.  See, feminists are not really concerned about what’s under your arm. Instead, we are concerned about whether or not women feel pressured to look a certain “acceptable” way.  Like how this stereotype is doing.

• Feminists can’t make or take a joke - We think we’re pretty funny actually. We just don’t make jokes aimed at hurting, demeaning, or belittling other people. We don’t stay quiet when someone makes a joke at the expense of a certain gender, race, class, or sexual orientation or if they use a stereotypes that encourage prejudice. If someone was making fun of you and your family, wouldn’t you want someone to say something?

• Feminists are useless - If feminists were useless then, women wouldn’t be able to be freely reading this right now. Thanks to feminists in the past, women can attend school, vote, hold political positions, choose to work inside or outside the home, decide if and when to have children, and choose when, if, and to whom they get married. There are a so many things that we take for granted everyday that we have earlier feminists to thank for. We hope that future generations will thank us someday for making the future a more equal and safe place for everyone!

So the next time someone starts bringing up tired old stereotypes about feminists, feel free to correct them on it.  You've heard it here from an official feminist.

Thanks,
Sandra, Melissa, and the Everyday Feminism Team

Definitely men also cry

It was a gathering of great minds and social achievers that I have witnessed in the recent past and the merriment equaled the status of the affluent crowd. 

They all arrived in all comportments and style and the ambiance at the members only club told it all. Some of the men were accompanied by girls only half their age while the women had boys the age of their sons by their sides. Some of the men came accompanied by fellow men while some women came in twos.

 The parking bay was a true reflection of achievement as the latest brands in the motor vehicle industry were on display. I actually saw more than three helicopters in the adjacent open field and the security at the venue was topnotch. Those of us only invited to be part of the crowd had very little expected from us except being reminded about a world we only experience in our untamed  imaginings. It was after two hours of merriment that two incidences happened in swift succession. 

The first incidence was when a rude female intruder stormed the party and attacked a man claiming the man, who was in the company of two young ladies was her husband who had not been home for weeks. 

She piercingly affirmed that all the wealth the man had was hers and she ordered the man to surrender the car keys and all her credit cards. The man obliged and the woman left after shouting vulgarities that I will not divulge in this third rate column. 

The second occurrence was a brawl between a man in a company of a young lady and another tipsy man. We later learned that the two men were involved in a same sex relationship and that one of them felt betrayed. The tête-à-tête that followed form the entirety of this submission.

Conversations about the two incidences were sparked off by the DJ of the night who loudly whined about the vanishing value of manhood. He incessantly compared what it meant to be a man in the past and what it is now. He sort the views of the men in the gig and even played special numbers that spoke to his line of thought about manhood. 

At one point he invited the “real” men whose ancestors are proud of to dance to a special number and only a handful timid men staggered to the floor. In his words, “ surely the time to change is now”. 

The assistant DJ took over the mantle from his senior and continued with the same line of thought. “ There were days when the husband was always right. There were days when a wife had to seek permission from the husband before going to bed as well as before turning the back to him in bed. In those days if the husband beat the wife and then came a visitor, the wife could smile as if nothing happened. Those were times when before going to bed the wife could be in her nightdress with no panty or bra, to allow the husband to do as he feels like”, he just could not stop humming.

It is becoming increasingly palpable that the walls of patriarchy dominated by intense masculinity are collapsing and men are facing the uphill task of having to find their place in the budding dispensation. These are times when what defined a man in the African context is being aggressively challenged in an arena dominated by the same men. While culture as enshrined in patriarchy and masculinity entrusted the providing role in the family to men, current revelations lay bare the fact that more and more women are taking over the role of providing for families and that some men are now glaringly playing the role of ‘swindler’. 

An infuriated tablemate at the lavish gig vociferously complained about “ manhood being under siege” claiming that men are now taking on jobs that were traditionally a reserve of women. In my view, “the know it all” men and boys are having a hell of a time contenting with bright and career savvy women taking a lead in the academia, banking, health, politics, science and agriculture. In his words “ its now more rewarding to invest in girls than boys”. 

A man’s only world is slowly fading away as more men are performing duties that they have been socialized not to indulge in. More men are having to take on performing domestic chores and playing a greater role in children upbringing. 

A visibly disgusted reveler unveiled to me at the bash that “many of us are now doing things we were never prepared to do. Can you imagine me having to change the napkins of my baby”? Do you know that men are now “getting married” and society is accepting it? he fumed. I was brought up knowing that I am the king of the home yet I have to content with second position in the home given the fact that my wife pays rent and school fees and I even drive her car. I miss the days when wives had to wait for their husbands before they made any decisions. I long for the times when women never worked hard during the day to avoid getting fast tired in the night as it is today.”

The two men occupying a table behind me were largely withdrawn. They occasionally exchanged glances and spoke in hushed tones. It was until the master of ceremony declared that gay activities were not allowed at the party that hell broke loose.  “ Why do you morons use homosexuality as a scapegoats for social evils”, one of them thundered as several others applauded. This is state-sponsored homophobia being propagated to sidetrack objective debate on sexuality and is being used to sway the masses against sexual minorities, affirmed yet another. The root causes of homophobia in Kenya stem mostly from tradition and customary interpretations of religion, which promote rigid models of social existence based on a reproductive foundation of humanity and sexuality. 

The air of official impunity within Kenya around homosexuality issues has opened the door for violence targeting sexual minorities who continue to be assaulted and exiled from their  families and communities as is the case here. “This is my body and its is my business” said another as he caressed himself. “ Lets go have fun” duds commanded the gigantic man clutching on the hands of another man even as a sizable crowd stormed out the venue.

A recent survey reveled that there exists a link between the skyrocketing cases of sexual/gender based violence in the developing world and besieged patriarchy and masculinity. The report undertaken in five high performing African economies unveils that the failure by the male gender to appreciate the steady progression of women is driving them into alcoholism, drug abuse, crime and leading to the stalling of career progression. The report blames negative socialization of men and the continuation of pervasive practices to this trend.

I learned several lessons from the gig one being that women in the region have achieved a lot in terms of social, economic and political developments yet a larger percentage of them are not aware of the achievements or their capacities do not allow them to enjoy the same . 

Additionally, the variance in the levels of women empowerment and gains across various geographical regions within a given country or the region continues to undermine uniformity in terms of progress thus calling in place the need for more collaboration, synergies and the sharing of the best practices. 

Many of the achievements are still in theory in many ways and the real test of what women have accomplished is in getting the  masses  of women across the region to understand , demand, exercise and enjoy their new found freedoms and opportunities.

The writer is a Programs Director of The Coexist Initiative, a not for profit synergy of men and boys community-based organizations committed to eliminating all forms of sexual/gender based violence, fostering the respect of the rights of minority groups and enhancing HIV prevention in Kenya. Visit: www.coexistkenya.com or www.menspeak.coexistkenya.com

Campus should focus on safety, not students’ dress

This article originally appeared on World Pulse, 
an action media network powered by women from 185 countries. 

The ruling patriarchy is once more at work at the University of Buea (UB).

Recently, the Director of Student Affairs; Dr Ludwig Metuge made a public announcement blaming the prevalence of sexual violence on campus on the ‘indecent’ dressing of women. 

A majority of female students have experienced one or two forms of sexual abuse from male academic staff on campus, said Mr Che Eugene, a guidance counselor for the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, in an interview.  These assaults often happen in the office and in lecture halls, when students are requesting make-up tests or extra lectures, submission of overdue assignments, and making other pleas to male academic staff. Mr Che said. .

And as long as these female students continue to dress suggestively, exposing certain body parts like the breast, legs, and shoulder- sexual violence is likely to be prevalent on campus, Mr. Che added.

So, in an effort towards preventing such crime on campus, the university authorities have implemented a stringent dressing code. Campus security men are given the ultimate power to send away so-called ‘indecently’ dressed students.  In Dec 2011, this led to over 50 female students bullied out of campus. One of the security guard who sought anonymity said to me.

“Nov 25^th, 9 am, on my way to class, I was stopped by the security guards and chase out of campus saying- my dress were indecent. Just because I wore a slim jean and a T-shirt” Mary, a second year student recalled her sad experienced.

UB fails to recognize that sexual violence remains a major security threat to humankind, particularly women. As well as, it is still one of the most widely unreported crimes, according to Amnesty International 2004 Publication on “Making Violence Against Women Counts”.

Even so, the fact is sexual violence can happen at any time-during armed conflicts and riots and even in nations with socio-economic and political stability.

A WHO Multi-Country Survey study on women’s health and domestic violence against women in 2011 stated that 70% of women between the age; 15 to 49 years in Ethiopia and Peru, reported being victims of sexual violence by an intimate partner.

all wears are sexy.UB should focus on safety and not students' dress

Moreover, UB should understand that each dress has a unique beauty. This makes it sexy. Whether it is a long robe, nightwear, or shorts. These clothes are simply to ensure that their clients derive maximum satisfaction and contentment.

 Ironically, University of Buea is conceived in the English-speaking tradition governing the fundamental rights of freedom of speech. Founded on moral and intellectual principles, and within the Central African region, it is accredited for excellence. So, instead of UB to continue wasting time and resources blaming student dressing, the university should focus on creating real solutions to stop this security threat whose actions have implications for the campus’ reputation, both locally and globally.

Contrary to UB, at least one ruling patriarch condemns the university’s claim and describes it as being a “flimsy excuse based on selfish motif”. “UB should respect individual rights, their dignity and choices”, said Mr. Nzume Mathias, chief of service for the Family Wellbeing at MINWEF- South West Region, Cameroon.

So, campus authorities should spend valuable moments thinking on how to address the issue of security, identify perpetrators of sexual violence, and provide justice to victims.  This could be accomplished by creating an independent sector on campus that works to prevent sexual violence. The Discrimination and Harassment Office (DISCHO) -University of Cape Town in South Africa is a good model. But if a special committee already exists, UB should make it public to all.

In addition, it demands that UB adopt a sexual harassment policy purposefully addressing issues of sexual violence on campus. The policy should also be made clear in the student guides, public and accessible to all, including heads of academic departments and faculty members, campus clubs and associations, academic staff and student

  

The classical ruling patriarchs’ ideologies—in this case, that the victims are to blame for sexual violence--must not prevail. Students’ deserve to have an educational environment where they feel safe and have the freedom to express themselves in what they wear.

Where are the Women in the National Anthem: The Case of Cameroon

With a Motto : Peace, Work, Fatherland. What is said about the Mothers of the Fathers?

Like any nation on this planet, its national anthem is symbolic. A national ritual representing the values and beliefs of that nation. The reason it is sung during most official and some informal occasions.The Cameroon Anthem is however no exemption to these national rites. A song that is sang countless time in one day, especially during school devotions, or in the military camps/ barracks or each moment the country’s flag is raised up.

Asides from singing it on college and military environment, it is also a must-sang song before any official and semi-official events would start or closed. Therefore, making it becomes a national mantra which is always incarnated.

Though Cameroon anthem exists in both French and English, it is worth noting that the content is different, except for the rhythm which is the same.
Personally I find the Cameroon national anthem more complicated than what it implies. Nonetheless, my main concern is not about its multifaceted versions but whether or not  it fosters equal representation and integration.

In my view, the Cameroon national anthem; the French or English version privileges maleness. In this light, I am referring to the ascribed attributes of masculinity which represents ‘manhood’ to be - power, authority and influence, with the she being the subordinate.

For example, in both versions (French and English), the only mention of women is found in one of the last verses which is seldom sang. –and there it advocates to “Foster, for Mother Africa, a loyalty”. -
While, in the very first verses in the anthem, it begins by glorifying maleness, as the country's legendary visionaries, freedom fighters, and how no tongue can ever appreciate the greatness and wonders of their works. And Cameroonians and all will work to make these sons and men prosperous.

The National Anthem, a National Mantra that empowers Maleness to maintain Power

Thus the reason our national struggle for equal rights and equal opportunities for all, especially between women and men successes are slow, because the national mantra empowers maleness to maintain power.

The Ambassador's wife

This is an interesting article contributed by Rumbidzai  Dube

As is my habit, I randomly stumbled upon an article entitled “The role of the Ambassador’s wife.” This article was actually published by the Journal of Marriage and Family (Volume. 31 No. 1) in February 1969 and written by a female professor with a Ph.D in Sociology, from the University of California, Berkeley. Seriously when I looked at this article my thought was ‘what in the heavens was she thinking when she wrote this? In her own words, her thesis sought to explore the role of the ambassador’s wife and in her introduction she stated;

“The role of the ambassador’s wife is largely shaped by her husband’s role and spokesman for the American government. This paper examines the way in which his job affects hers…”

Yes in 1969 as in many other political and decision-making positions, the position of the Ambassador was predominantly male territory. However I cannot understand how an American professor could publish an academic article of this nature at a time when female ambassadors were not such a strange phenomenon. There might not have been as many female ambassadors as there are now but in my view an article of this nature only served to perpetuate the gender stereotype and the belief that only men could be ambassadors and women the ambassador’s wives.One can not help but develop an image of the ambassador's wife as the socialite, paying attention to the wining and dining of her husband's guests while he talks politics.

The world’s first female ambassador, Hungarian feminist and activist Rosika Schwimmer, was appointed in 1918 to serve in Switzerland. Well done to Hungary for being a trendsetter in that regard. By 1969, when the article was written many countries had appointed female ambassadors: Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burma, Colombia, Cuba, Finland, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Lithuania, Paraguay Romania, South Korea, Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, Venezuela, and the former Yugoslavia had had at least one female ambassador. Austria, Costa Rica, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, New Zealand and Tanzania had appointed two; Mexico, Morocco and Pakistan three; Sweden four; Brazil, Chile, Denmark, India and the USA five and the highest number had come from Canada with six female ambassadors by 1969.

Surely coming from a country where the first female ambassador Frances Willis had been appointed in 1962 and the first African-American female ambassador, Patricia Harris, had also been appointed 3 years on the author should have realised the inappropriateness of her research topic at a time when women were fighting for political, economic and social equality of the sexes, what we have popularly come to know as the feminist struggle.

Fortunately for all of us, the world has come to recognise how certain labels can act destructively to perpetuate gender stereotypes. Hence a change in the name given to a group can stir transformation in mindsets and begin to unseat years of deep seated misguided notions about what women can do as compared to men. So from having a Diplomatic ‘wives’ Association we now have a Diplomatic ‘spouses’ Association. Yes, women too can be ambassadors and their partner would be regarded as a spouse not wife. With regard to countries that have legalised same sex marriages, the dynamics would be even more complicated where the ambassador is either male or female married to another male or female, respectively.

So I looked at this article and I appreciated how far we, as women, have come in asserting ourselves as equals, with equal capabilities to those of men. Previously male dominated fields including law, politics and diplomacy have been penetrated by women. I am proud of these achievements as I am one of those who have benefitted from the years of struggle.

Where previously the idea of a female president was scoffed upon today we have plenty of them. Current serving female presidents are Tarja Kaarina Halonen, Finland's first woman president; Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, current President of Liberia and the first African female President; Micheline Calmy-Rey President of Switzerland; Pratibha Patil President of India; Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina; Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania; Laura Chinchilla Miranda of Costa Rica; Roza Otunbayeva Interim president of Kyrgyzstan; Dilma Rousseff President of Brazil; Maria Luisa Berti Co-Captain-regent (head of State and Government) of San Marino; Atifete Jahjaga President of Kosovo and Ireland’s President Mary McAleese.

We also have a number of female prime ministers: Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Iceland Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, Croatia Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard , Slovakia Prime Minister Iveta Radicová, Peru Prime Minister Rosario Fernández, Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé Prime minister of Mali.

Scores of influential women whose work has transformed our societies and proved that women are as capable as men, or even better live among us. Just to mention a few phenomenal women: Maya Angelou an inspirational writer and poet, Aung San Suu Kyi the Burmese political activist whose quiet strength in the struggle for democracy has inspired many, Hillary Clinton who serves as the US Secretary of State, Navenatham Pillay who is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Oprah Winfrey whose sheer determination to rise to the top and become a billionaire has motivated women particularly black women that they can make it too in a difficult world governed by unjustifiable stereotypes, Christiane Amanpour who has broken barriers in the field of journalism, and Michelle Bachelet who is the first Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

These women have rejected, challenged and triumphed over cultural perceptions of women as incompetent beings. They have shown how women can assert their presence and their voices in the political, social, economic and cultural spheres. They have worked hard to define women as equal citizens with equal rights. They have displayed great strength and risen above oppression and subordination and for that I salute them. Indeed these and other women are living proof that women can do it too and the era of the ‘Ambassador’s wife’ is gone, never to come back again...or at least I hope.

male housewives or househusbands.

Yesterday morning, like most of the days, I woke up feeling blessed and very active to execute my work task.  The morning was bright and calm. My assignments were not more than I couldn’t handle.  Everything was going on fine, until the moment I took a walk to a colleague’s desk. This was around midday.  On her desk, there was a pullout from the Standard newspaper tagged ‘CRAZY MONDAY’.  The Standard is one of the most read newspapers in Kenya. 

Unconsciously, I picked up the paper from her desk to have a glance on what makes news.   In the process of flipping through, I came across this caption ‘Male housewives’, an article written by Nyumu, Monday, August 1^st, 2011/The Standard; page8-9/CRAZY MONDAY. 

The title of the article was very shocking and overwhelming the moment I set eyes on it. I tried to imagine why in an attempt by the author in redefining masculinity and feminism (mascu-feminism), the word male +housewives were used as a single term in describing a state where a man stays at home and does the domestic chore.  It was  frustrating to the extend that  I had to checked on my Oxford Advance Learner’s Dictionary, New 8^th Edition, for the definition of  ‘housewives’ , whether ‘housewives is a fixed term which can only be prefixed or suffixed, and if that should not be the case, what actually motivated the author to refer to househusbands as male housewives. 

According to Nyumu, it is a nightmare comes true for women to pursuit high paid jobs while men take charge of the house works.  In this regard, the author highlighted couple of reasons to this effect following the interviewees’ response. For brevity, I picked out just three of the author’s highlighted points which I found to be shocking.  These include;

1. The fact that majority of men enjoy the comfort of staying at home, in order words to becoming the supposedly male housewives while their wives do the career jobs, and definitely take charge of the family.   
2.   The fact that most men think it is of no used receiving peanuts salary which is later all spent on fare and lunch whereas he can invest all his time taking care of the household affairs while the wife, who earns more, becomes the breadwinner.  

     3. Despite being the househusbands, a lot of men demonstrated a strong conviction that the role of the woman will never change and the kitchen remains the woman’s territory. 
 

However, articles and reactions like these explain the level of ignorant and misconception about the global struggle for gender equality. It therefore implies, there is need for intense and continual enlightenment centered around the global debate on gender issues. The media sectors should definitely not be exempted. It is obvious that the media serves as a key source for information to many people. Therefore, it is imperative the media sectors became very knowledgeable with the gender discourse in order to minimize promoting such gender misconception.  

Link to Nyumu's Article here 

A boy is a man and not a girl: The power of circumcision.

pic source:online

Last week, July 16th 2011, Sharon and I had this enriching discussion. Sharon is a friend I recently met in June 2011, during one of my ‘residence’ tour in Kenya. Often, when we meet, we always have new stories to share. 

It was almost evening, the usual time Sharon and I would always sit for our storytelling.  Our conversation is never defined. We talk on all sorts of issues. This particular day, we finally rested on the issue of masculinity and feminism.  I was amazed at her story on male circumcision in Uganda. It immediately reminded me on my recent post ‘good woman, bad woman’

Male circumcision in this sense clearly portrays an aspect of class, hierarchy for patriarchs. And what makes me feel so disappointed despite the classical tension of power/class is the fact that women still remain the victims and the objects.

After our conversation on male circumcision, I felt it may be great if this story is shared with online friends. So, I requested for her permission. Then, she offered to write it up.

Below is the story on male circumcision and its traditional importance in Bagisu tribe, Uganda. It is a very interesting piece to read. As I said before, this piece projects the other side of patriarchal power. This is a good essay to incite debates around who is a man and a woman? And also, why should masculinity references to girl/womanhood be seen a as weak and not strength?

Sharon writes;

Today many young people in my community see culture as something that is not important, or as an obstacle to modern lifestyle. In my country, Uganda, we have a tribe known as the Bagisu. In this tribe, it is in their culture that all men must be circumcised traditionally and not clinically.

During the circumcision period, the boys move around the town singing and dancing accompanied by large crowds, mostly women. It is a waist-dance known as “kadodi” often danced by women. 

The boys move, sometimes to very far distances visiting their relatives informing them about their incoming manhood. In most cases they receive gifts (like cows, goats etc.) from these relatives. This process can last for several days.

On the day of circumcision the mother of the boy to be circumcised ties herself on the central pole in the house praying that her son does not cry during the circumcision period. This is because if her son cries during the circumcision period, he is considered a girl. This has continuously spoilt the future of many Bagisu boys. Since, the majority who could not withstand the extreme pain and as a result they cried are now socially seen as a girl.

 In the early ages, those who cried would dress like girls and couldn’t as well get married. This is because very few parents (fathers especially) would not allow their daughters married a weakling of a man. The assumption was that a man who cries during circumcision was a girl and girls are not strong/powerful enough to offer protection. Therefore, a daughter couldn’t get married to a man who is unable to protect her.

Besides, a man who gets circumcised in the hospital is treated far worse than the man who is traditionally circumcised but cries. Though both men still fall under the same categories for non-men and would definitely find it difficult to marry a girl from that that tribe.

For instance: there was a Mugisu boy who went to the USA so as to escape circumcision, he stayed in the USA for about six years. Meanwhile back home his mother was getting insults from every corner about how her son was not man enough to face the knife. It was so upsetting for the mother so much that she tried all possible means to bring her son home.

Having failed in several attempts to bring this boy home, the mother connived with the elders to fake her own death. When the boy heard that his mother was dead, he came back home for the burial only to meet his kinsmen at the airport with knives ready to circumcise him.  Unfortunate for me, this time around he couldn’t escape but to succumbed. In his case, he was circumcised at the airport. This particular story was told by my college history teacher Mrs Ndagire Judith in 2007. She said it was something that happened several years back.

 In this community, a man who has not been circumcised therefore is considered a boy despite his age and is not allowed to marry from his tribe until he is circumcised. And the locals find pride in these practices. They believe so much in it.

For example, a boy of sixteen years who is circumcised traditionally is locally recognised as a man than perhaps a sixty-year old man who is not circumcised (or a sixty-year old who went through the classical modern age circumcision).

Besides, the uncircumcised men are not only socially relegated but are extremely devalued as they can’t never be allowed to drink local beer with circumcised men or even attend meetings that concern the wellbeing of the community. According to the norms, they are minors, man-girls and bear, hot drinks are not made for minors.