the bias against women;
when men are treated as puppets
and women as serpents
puppet that goes freely with its flaws
and serpent we take axes after for a chaw
the bias against women;
when he announces a new job
and he’s felicitated amid fanfare & calls
but when she announces a new duty
she must have slept her way to the new office
the bias against women;
when he flaunts his new keys
and we bath him in spits of unending wishes
but when she flaunts her new ride
her sugardaddy must have enjoyed some crazy styles
the bias against women;
when he sleeps around with female folks
and gets hailed as “sharp guy wey choke”
but when she moves freely with men
tongues wag at her as a decayed gem
the bias against women;
when he smokes and party around
and is praised as a “correct dangbana”
but when she inhales and butts in a club
we all flare up against a shameless harlot
the bias against women;
when he scores “A” and leads the class
and must have been a determined bibliophile
but when she ace her papers
she must have spread legs for the Lecturer
the bias against women;
when he flaunts his 6 pacs in a shirtless photoshoot
and became an inspiration to admiring males
but when she snaps and reveals her cleavage
she’s made to suffer the media disrepute
the bias against women;
when he dresses in crazy jeans
and must have only wore what is trendy
but when she wiggles herself in tight tops
she is accused of marketing her natural products
the bias against women;
when she is late in her walk to marriage
while patiently connecting her affection dots
but tagged ‘a proud lady’ who must have denied men’s calls
while the late man is only a careful sage
enough of the unhealthy bias;
when we glamorise men’s immorality
and speak ill of women’s indecency
enough of praising men for their misgivings
while we submerge women in chants of criticisms
.
P.S: This post is not about me playing the Feminism Advocate, as I’m obviously not one. And I do not mean to condone anyone’s bad behaviours or misgivings, I only feel the need to poetically address the bias the female gender have been met with, in terms of criticisms. It’s high time we stopped praising guys/men for same acts we abuse ladies/women for. No lady should be addressed “Olosho” for sleeping around with men, while men are adressed “sharp guys” for doing same. No lady should be castigated for revealing her cleavages, when we do not castigate men who go for shirtless photoshoot for being silly. No foul assumptions should be directed at ladies for being successful, I know of countless genuinely hardworking ladies. If you must accuse a lady/woman for a bad act, channel same energy to the male folks. After all, what is bad for Asabi should be bad for Alabi too. Enough of the gender stereotypes. Enough of the hypocrisy.
Hashim Yussuf Amao wrote from Ibadan and can be reached on Facebook via: Hashim Yussuf LegalBard
Twitter: @LegalBard
