The hatred against women in Kenya seems to be on the rise. A radio presenter even writes that Kenyan men hate their own women. She says that Kenyan men do not love, cherish, or protect their women.
Yet, you can feel the genuine sense of concern emanating from her sentiments. It is from a person who has experienced the hatred against women and decides to speak out against it.
The story of how a male agent from a local telecommunications company violated a female customer’s privacy is a case example. She becomes a victim of shameless trolls on Twitter. Some of the trolls even harass her with sexual epithets.
Yet, many are oblivious to the mistakes the agent commits against the lady. They only see the lady as an ‘attention-seeker’ and not a victim whose privacy the agent violates.
The hatred against women does not stop there. There are other numerous cases. It often portrays itself through abuse, whether physically or verbally.
Hatred against women is increasing
The sad thing is that people have normalized hatred against women. It has become rampant, and in many areas, people accept it as normal. Sexism, especially targeting women is on the rise.
Hatred against women has even increased with the popular influence of social media. All it takes is a computer or an internet enabled phone and some bundles to escalate the issue. Social media presents a hiding place for those who wish to spread hatred against women.
The reason why the hatred against women thrives on social media is due to the lack of responsibility. Social media is a haven that no one can claim to control. It does not have a common code of conduct. People conduct themselves according to their personal whims.
Social media also provides a sense of anonymity. People can propagate hatred against women without revealing their identity. Typically, there are millions of ghost accounts on social media. It is not strange to find people owning several social media accounts for such purposes.
A marketplace has emerged where public humiliation is a commodity and shame is the industry. How is the money made? Clicks. The more shame, the more clicks…
Monica Lewinsky
Rather than being protectors of women, the Kenyan society is continuously victimizing them. Like Dr Wandia Njoya says, We are making women feel guilty for their success. We are also making it appear as if they should apologize for their success.
Hatred against women shows a lack of respect
The issue is not only about hatred against women. It also shows a lack of respect for women. It shows we do not care about the sacrifices women make to achieve equity and equality. Rather than appreciate their effort, we are rolling back the gains they have achieved.
I am a big supporter of Women Representatives in Kenya. They have a unique responsibility to protect the interest of women and girls. Rather than support them and enhance their capacity, some are saying that we abolish their positions. The excuse for that is the wage bill. Some people label them as ‘flower girls’ for male MPs.
…Is wage bill only affected by women’s inclusion?
Martha Karua
Respect for women goes beyond their positions. It also incorporates their personality and wellbeing. Women have an inherent dignity which is universal and which deserves respect. The desire for women to be outspoken does not equate to arrogance.
The rise of hatred against women in Kenya shows that they rattled several quarters. They are dismantling the status quo of male patriarchy. Those who feel threatened fight back. The latter are willing to do whatever they can to ensure that women do not succeed.
Male chauvinism and the dominance of patriarchy are still rampant. With the empowerment of women and the girl child, some people are asking, what about the boy-child? Nevertheless, a closer look at the latter shows that some of the calls are not genuine. They are just pretending to show concern for the boy-child to derail efforts made for the girl-child.
We need to nip the hatred against women in the bud
Rather than spread the hatred against women, the Kenyan society should be doing the reverse. We should be praising and supporting the women to uplift themselves. The women in Kenya need equal opportunities just like anyone else. We need to create a safe haven for women and girls to thrive.
There is a need to dismantle the traditional stereotypes that spread hatred against women. This includes laws that promote prejudice against women. Women should no longer be victims of retrogressive circumstances manufactured by the society they live in.
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