There are no innocent people in this world, just the outright guilty, ignorant and the unlucky. N3s UGRC Gender and development class left me petrified and in a state of all three. Ignorant of how consistently “sexist” I have been over the years yet “guilty” for the crime but unlucky about any chances of reforming. According to this lecturer I so graciously met, sexism is in every part of our lives and if they don’t project Efua higher than Sarkodie on the billboards of Ghana Meets Naija, they have only added to the unending list of unfortunate instances of corporate sexism. I of course possessing a sense of humor found it valuably comical.
The irony, which I discovered wasn’t any less funny than the lecturers accent was how a lot of ladies found the claim valid. Before the lecture ended, the ladies suddenly begun to laughably feel how subjugated they have been over the years and decided to take a stance against “sexism”. Obviously oblivious of what a patriarchal society implies, they vouched for “equity” to fix this broken society of ours; equity in all areas, towards all people and during every event….but not good old Valentines; this time, men ought to do all the spending. Will I be surprised if women demanded more from their men because they feel they are oppressed and ought to be compensated? I think not.
Valentines today, will put a halt to all the shenanigans about the supposed female subjugation…but only for today. If women claim eradicating sexism is grounds for corporate and obligatory competition to gradually usurp the positions of men then it should be for chivalry as well. Let’s see a woman willing to open and hold the door for her man or pull his chair or check his coat at an eatery. Women will fight for prominence in the things that matter to them alone which is selectiveness and biased; what many experts call benevolent sexism. Women will still look out for the man to dine her, gift them with living roses, jewelry, text first with heartfelt messages and send cupid encrusted pastries. Ladies, in a world where we are disregarding gender roles and pushing adamantly for “equality” then I’m guessing you’re fine with carrying me on your back or picking up the tab at the restaurant.
You just went all year telling me there is nothing you can’t do. Then on the day of love you demonstrate the exact opposite. You tell yourself you can’t do that because you are not a man. Hey wait!! That’s sexist!! delivered with a smile. But I guess sexism is fine so far as it comes from you to yourself.