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| A young boy adding firewood to the fire |
Over
the last couple of weeks, we have heard stories of women beating up their men.
The spotlight has particularly been on the Nyeri women who have been in the
news every so often for battering their husbands.
With the increase of the cases, the Maendeleo
ya Wanaume Organisation Chairman, Mr Nderitu Njoka, said in the news that men
battering should completely stop. He even literally removed a red card from his
pocket and flagged it to women symbolizing that men battering should come to a
halt.
Due to these incidences, Nyeri women
have fallen under sharp criticism. In social sites such as facebook, people
have coined all manner of terms to describe the on goings in Nyeri. Some of the
terms include ‘Nyeriolosis’ which is described as the process of a Nyeri woman
beating up a man or ‘Nyeriolistic devices’ which refers to tools used by a
Nyeri woman to beat up a her husband.
While
these terms may appear funny and while people are making this situation look
like something we can make fun of, the situation is indeed very grave. In the
midst of all this, I wonder why there is so much focus on ladies yet forget
there are two genders.
I think so much emphasis has been laid on the
girl child that the boy child does not matter any more, at least not in the
eyes of over empowered women who are out to conquer the world. For example in
our homes, when a male child comes home late, they are never asked where they
are coming from. When they father children out of wedlock, they are never
asked. It is just assumed that men can easily defend themselves.
The boy
child, despite how society chooses to treat him, is still vulnerable. He is a
child, just like the girl child and therefore should be handled with care. We
should not sit back and assume that because he is male, he will figure his way
out of problems. The same guidance that is given to the girl child should also
be given to the boy child.
It is in
ignoring to address some of these issues in society; that men are appearing to
have fallen victims to women. They are simply not told what it takes to be
responsible men in society and the challenges that come with the territory. It
is assumed just because they are male, they ought to know.
If we are
to change the plight of the boy child, then I believe that change should start
from our homes. We ought to treat the males in our homes with the same care we
give the females. I believe parents should also take more responsibility when
raising up the boy child. The same attention they give to the girl child is the
same that is to be reciprocated to the boy child. It is indeed about time the
boy child got heard.
