Happy International Women's Day

Being a woman takes a lot and often, there are not enough words to aptly describe the struggles, pains or joys of womanhood. Today is about celebrating all women, in all forms which we come.

          To all the women out there, the strong, weak, ecstatic, bereaved, thriving, struggling, surviving,              barely surviving, pushing, lifting, dragging, weary, sick, healthy, happy, sad, chaste, slutty,                      hardworking, lazy, peng, washed out, slayest, abused, traumatized, stigmatized, dickmatized,                  achievers, under-achievers, over-achievers, all of these women sacrificing it all just because we              women. I see and hear and celebrate you ALL.

 

Indestructible Women, We Are.

This post was written by me early this morning and it came from a place of annoyance, bewilderment and courage at how little regard women get across the world. I read a tweet at me from a young man yesterday and he didn't believe the things women go through. He genuinely had no clue at our ordeals and wondered what made us so special. 

Then I read an obviously fictitious broadcast out loud to le hubbs that was so disrespectful, degrading and condescending to women it got even my SIX year old daughter saying "mummy, how can they say all that about women. They are lies and mean. Who wrote that?"

Let me dedicate this to all the ignorant doubting Thomas's out there who think they can walk all over women. Think again. 

I am a woman. 

I don’t know why my very existence scares you. 

I don’t know why it bothers you so much. 

Even to the point of trying to break me. 

To make and mould me into a submissive mess. 

To shape me to suit your purpose. 

Yet you wonder why I say we are oppressed. 

You genuinely do not get it that you are a part of our oppression 

I am a woman, a strong unbreakable woman. 

There are many more like me, millions more.

We were built to last, to conquer and to flourish. 

Flourish, we will for we are women. 

We are unbeatable and indestructible.

We grow everything we are given and those which we take.

We can help you grow and help you be far better.

I am a woman, a strong and powerful woman. 

I am going nowhere, none of us are until we say we are done.

Buki O.

That Awful Sense Of Entitlement

I find it very exasperating when people express an absolute sense of entitlement where they shouldn't. I tried not to get involved in a patronizing conversation today which went something like this:

Him: I am taller than my wife and even you

Me: Errrm, ok?

Him: Most women are not as tall as they appear to be while they are afar off, it is when they get closer to you that you realize the men are taller.

Me: Really? -_-

Him: Of course yes, women are not meant to be taller than men. Or don't you agree with me?

Me: *Bemused look on my face and angst at  the fact that I was in a corporate environment and couldn't bare my mind adequately* Trust me, you do not want to hear my actual response to your opinion on that, so I will just keep quiet.

Him: *Chuckles uncomfortably* 

Welcome to what largely obtains in 2016 in Nigeria. Some people make you want to ask them directly how their application to joining humanity is going? Who made the unscrupulous and largely African  rules to disfavour and discredit women like this? Was the man in the conversation kidding? I can't say precisely, but I doubt it very much. Even if he was at the time, several men do have this sort of thought process and I have met such. 

Recall when we went for our Stand To End Rape Initiative walk about two years ago and while engaging some men, they felt it was their  manly rights and entitlement to "take" their wives whenever they felt like it, whether she was ready, in the mood or not.

What gives you the right of entitlement to belittle women at every chance you've got? I have seen situations where men refused to negotiate dealings with women but had the nerve to ask them to go get their husbands if any conversations should hold further. Of course they were schooled pronto. I'm not one to let such slide, no can do. 

Oh by the way, the pendulum swings both ways. Yes, some women feel so entitled over men in the most ridiculous ways. Errm, so he asked you out on a date and you arrive with an entourage of grubby and greedy friends, hoping to fleece him. Sista, it doesn't werk like that. Do  unto others what you want done unto you. Respect is mutually earned and to be honest it is the only way to ensure peace at all times.

Don't even get me started on the pisstake fuel attendants have been taking during this fuel crisis rocking Nigeria. You hear things like "

"Of course the attendants have to charge extra cost per car, bike, kegs they fill up because this is their season. After all, Nigerians don't tip them whenever they buy fuel on a good day. Ehn, let them charge now that there is a crisis. It's how they survive". 

Eskiss me plix, not so!!!! Fuel attendants collect salaries, if it is meagre then that's another issue for resolving, so they should NOT feel entitled to levies just because they have people at their mercy during fuel scarcities. Why have they made demi-fuel-gods of themselves during such crisis? Why should they feel entitled to MY money even though I am already buying at way more than the official pump price and I have to queue for hours to get to my turn anyway. 

Until we begin to see ourselves as HUMANS first and foremost above gender, race, tribe, age, religious sentiments and whatnots, we would keep sinking further into the stone age. 

Look within you to reflect and perfect the change you want around you.

#Survey: Empowering Women

A reputable company wants to carry out a survey to find out the various directions available to build a strong and brilliant empowerment program for women.

They want a unique and outstanding Women Empowerment Program like no other.

In line with this, they have developed a questionnaire (please click here or below) to aide them on this journey and they hope you will all assist in this survey by sending the questionnaires to family and friends who are women and within the ages 18-40.

Thank you.

The Link: http://goo.gl/forms/Pp4ImG9RkS