A woman is a gift from God to men. When I say men, I mean every human being. This statement has raised several controversies especially male human beings who think the vice versa is true. Well, for starters everyone knows the story of creation and how God created a woman out of a man’s ribs as his companion. Meanwhile, the fact that ‘a man’ was created first was taken as ‘the man should lead’ which is actually true is arguable.
Meanwhile, what if a woman led not only her family but a nation? Yes, this has actually happened in several countries across the world including the recent ones in Ethiopia, Liberia, Germany, Britain to mention a few but what makes a nation different from the norm of men leading them? I can clearly remember the recent World Cup whereby different leaders whose countries were represented in the last leg came to congratulate their players. You could see when the downpour started the men leaders (names disclosed) being covered with umbrellas while the Croatian president, who is a woman stood in the rain for a while to congratulate her well-deserved team. The Croatian players must have felt really good to receive the warm hugs from their own president, that looked like ‘motherly love’. That was applaudable and I don’t want to sound like a feminist but everyone could feel that the boys must have felt really appreciated.
Leadership for women might come with its own challenges including body shaming claims and demeaning claims from the so-called ‘keyboard warriors’ or even their fellow leaders. Women are raisers. They raise children, they can even raise a nation for its better good. The two-thirds Gender bill that was in parliament right could have offered a leeway for women leaders who want to make a change in the nation. However, the bill with its own costs due to payments of their salaries which is an added to Kenyans and no one wants an extra 120,000 loan the government high time that we try women as leaders.
We have had a taste of through contributions of heroines like the late Wangari Maathai and was highly challenged but conquered in her efforts to secure Karura Forest and Uhuru Park.
In my opinion, I still believe that women have their place in society aside from the kitchen but in higher leadership positions. Imagine the change.
by Winnie Muthoni
