A celebration of sisterhood

Did you know that you and I would probably have been a statistic in Kenya if no midwife walked the pregnancy journey with our mothers? We do not hear much about midwives, but they are special people, albeit underpaid, under-represented, and overworked. Yet, they were with us and our mothers during our most vulnerable times.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 let us remember such unsung heroines. Additionally, on this special day, join me in dispelling the common myth that women are their own worst enemies.

Granted, we do have toxic femininity and women who have demonstrated biases and cruelty directed towards other women. Those are women with insecurities and issues that we cannot exhaust here. What they exhibit is the same toxicity we see with some men against other men. This is more of a human flaw than a gender thing.

Today, let us focus more on the sisterhood as we observe International Women’s Day. Sisterhood is about women who extend a hand when their fellow woman is down on her knees and queens who help another female adjust her crown. The sisterhood is the spirit that drives a midwife, who may never be feted or called a celebrity, yet she makes sure that your helpless newborn is safely delivered.

Sisterhood is about those women who make our world a better place. Take the example of our house helps. These are women we entrust our homes and families with, so that we can work in peace.

Forget the bad ones who have committed atrocious acts against our children and loved ones. There are gems of women who have stood in the gap, cared for and loved our children unconditionally, and taken care of our homes while remaining professional.

Some have transformed their families, using their income to educate siblings, build a house for their parents, or even start thriving businesses. In a country where domestic work is not recognised or regulated under a professional body, these women have experienced untold harassment, discrimination, and gross violations of their rights. Sisterhood is about the employers who have adequately compensated the house assistants and upheld their rights.

Sisterhood is what Catherine did when she learned that her friend, Fridah, had escaped domestic abuse with nothing but the clothes on her body and her traumatised children. Catherine marshalled a few friends, raised some money for Fridah to find shelter and food, and medical care, all in a matter of hours.

A loving stepmother

Sisterhood is that stepmother who defies the world’s expectation of a step-parent and steps in to love and nurture a child that she did not birth. It is that foster mother who creates beautiful childhood memories of another woman’s child. Or that grandmother, who sacrifices her comforts to play both mother and grandma when the family unit is broken and the parenting falls on her lap.

Sisterhood is a mother who sees another mother and tells her, “I got you”. It is by sharing opportunities, extending fish and the fishing rod to help another feed her babies.

Now, since women do not live in a vacuum, celebrating sisterhood and women is a call on us all, to be a voice that raises awareness about any form of discrimination. To act towards protecting our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and any other label that we give a woman.

Observing International Women’s Day is questioning whether the elective Woman Representative office is listening to the women, acting on its mandate, and transforming the lives of women and their families, or not.