Stop sexually objectifying fellow women

Catherine Waruguru

Laikipia Woman Rep Ms Catherine Waruguru. 

Photo credit: File

The Kenyan society has made huge strides in promoting the dreams and aspirations of women despite resistance from certain quarters given to the subjugation of womenfolk.

We have seen women valiantly trounce wealthy and powerful men to win elective positions. Others have boldly thrown their hat in the presidential ring.

But these gains, for which many women have been humiliated or even killed championing, risk being reversed by a generation of female politicians gleefully projecting their fellow women as sex objects. These women think they are working up the crowds or creating a light moment, but the message they send is that issue-based politics is now a thing of the past.

Found in both sides of the political divide, every time these women take to the podium the audience goes wild—not because they explain sound policies but for sexually revealing antics.

Radicalised to debase women

From Cate Waruguru’s “Junet sio size yangu (MP Junet is not my ‘size’)” to Millicent Omanga’s incessant twerking at political rallies and Aisha Jumwa’s “nengua kiuno” (gyrating the waist), the impression being created is that female legislators have nothing to offer but their physique.

We are being radicalised to debase women by the very people who ought to change our mindset from the traditional African society’s perspective to the modern-day realities that women don’t belong to a lesser God.

Women have, rightly, been touted as the cream of the society. And nothing clearly explains this than the rapid rate at which countries that embraced women’s leadership, like Rwanda, are progressing.

Angela Merkel’s unique leadership style during her rule as Germany’s chancellor continues to be hailed worldwide, as does President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s in Liberia.

Our girls, and even boys, look up to women in public positions for quality leadership. Let them reserve twerking for Tik-Tok and project women for what resides in their brain.


Mr Apollo is a freelance journalist and writer. [email protected]. @ApolloJoab