Feministry!

They say life does not come with a manual but a mother and that is the honest truth anyone has ever told me.It even makes more sense when one's mother passes away and you are left to navigate this thing called life on your own.  My mother (MHSRIP) gave birth to three children two boys and one girl and being the only girl God had it that I look like her.Since my mother passed away my brothers have always told me that at least they have me and they will always see mum through me because of our resemblance. In one of these hearty conversations my brother explained to me how my mother was happy when I was born because finally she was holding a baby girl. At that moment it hit me, during her entire life I was my Mother's Answered Prayer. It was an emotional moment for me because I started thinking if I had lived up to her expectations,  if I was truly the daughter that she always wanted. When I was about ten years old my mother fell sick, I was too young to understand the depth of ...

 

Image Courtesy of Abstract Art Imagine a world where women are free, a gender equal world where women are not treated as second class citizens. An accommodating world that is diverse and inclusive, a world where women can stand tall and venture into an industry of their choice unapologetically without any discrimination for it. These are my thoughts on this eight day of March. A day set aside to celebrate women and their achievements and raise awareness against all forms of abuse and discrimination. For women across the world this is a time to reflect on the role played by gender in our day to day  lives, to reflect on where we have come from our success and failures along the way and to come and stand together with one voice. The United Nations Theme for the international Women’s day for 2023 is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. This theme helps us to celebrate women and girls who have contributed to technology and online education and how technological...

Picture Courtesy of Abstract Art The third month of the Gregorian calendar is one of my favorite months of the year, not only because it is the month that I was born but because it is the month set aside to celebrate one of the world’s greatest wonders to ever walk on this earth Women. March is a special month set aside to celebrate women and the tremendous contributions to history, culture and society. This month means different things to different people, for me it means celebrating every woman from all walks of life and the important work that they do from the family, society and cooperate world. It is also a time for women to reflect on what it means to be a woman in the 21st century, an era where a lot of advancements have been made with regards to women’s rights and gender equality yet women are still being left behind in other sectors proof that we still have a long way to go. Every year women’s month is celebrated with a different theme and this year’s theme is very close to my...

Image Courtesy of Abstract Art If you don't drive your own car, commuting to work is always a hassle. When you live in a country with its own economic demons, it gets even more complicated. You have to choose between being early and getting a cheaper ride. Getting back from work one fine day, I managed to hop into a car after many failed attempts. The pressure of trying to get into the car is something that I cannot even start talking about. One picture pops into my head whenever I remember this day. While wearing my earphones, I sat by the window. This is my most comfortable position when travelling because I get to observe and see a lot of things as I pass by. And indeed, that day I saw something, a happy and sad picture that stuck with me until this very moment. I saw a man riding his bicycle, behind him on that very same bicycle was a woman who was sat facing sideways, apposition that I presume was not the most comfortable. The reason why she sat like that is because she had a ...

"You are next" is a phrase you hear a lot as a woman in her twenties who comes from where I come from. It doesn't matter where you're from, if you walk down the street, attend a funeral, family wedding or any gathering, you're always told you're next. Some even ask when you're getting married. Being a black African female in your twenties can be quite suffocating. In African societies, marriage is closely tied to patriarchy and culture, which grooms’ women to be wives at an early age. It's a matter of raising a girl to be a good wife and daughter-in-law in our African society. When a girl hits her teens, she's constantly told to cook, bath and clean properly. This is to make sure she doesn't bring the family's name into disrepute when she gets married.   Interestingly, all these things are taught to girls, but they're warned to stay away from boys. As soon as they get into their twenties the narrative changes, they are now being told to...