There is a rampant increase in cases of men killing women and girls because of a love gone sour or other relationship related cases. A recent national health survey found that almost half of Kenyan women aged between 15 – 49 say that they have been beaten, harassed, or raped, often by someone they know. And this year alone we’ve seen so many cases in Kenya of men killing their lover/wife’s and even children.
So what is causing all this? Why can’t men resolve these issues in a rational way? What leads someone to butcher his wife and children because of mistakes that are commonly made by everyone.
I tend to think that this comes from frustrations of the 21st century male who doesn’t want to adapt to the changes of this time and age. With technology and education, we’ve seen women soaring to make themselves better in all spheres of live. But unfortunately some men still hold on to the past premises that they should always be in control and patriarchal.
In the world we live in now, there are so many single women and parents who chose the path to handle their lives without involving men, and this I think, has led some men to think that they are not being recognized as men and hence tend to emulate old ways of using force to be recognized. The increase in cases of rape and gender based violence is because of the men who need validation that they are men and can do whatever they want, because women are their subjects and hence want to show that they (men)are in control.
Tables have turned and it’s a high time that men stop viewing women as their subjects rather their fellow equals and live together in harmony. Unfortunately these things have also been fueled by religious books and teachings, and makes men feels like they should be the head and women second. The truth is humans are equal and the only difference between a man and a woman is their physical structure and every one should appreciate and respect that.
My call to men this, things have changed, you are no longer in control. These days, both men and women bring food to the table. Both men and women work hard to make ends meet, so men should also wake up shake off the old bad habits of patriarchy and embrace this new world of all humans being equals and accept it and live together in harmony.
By Jennie Simaloi Toimasi
