BANISH SEXISM AND UPHOLD GENDER SENSITIVITY.

By the pen of Gitau wa Kung'u ✒️

Since the beginning of time, sexism has played a vital role in many cultures and communities around the world. So has the 20th century issue of gender sensitivity.

What is sexism? What is gender sensitivity? Where can the two terms be cited? How has they shaped world views?

What is the relationship between sexism and gender sensitivity? Do you support sexism or gender sensitivity? 

Let's talk about sexism first. What is sexism? Sexism is the belief that people of one sex or gender are inherently superior to people of the other sex or gender. 

For example, the notion that men are superior to women or women are superior to men. People, policies, languages and institutions that uphold sexism are called sexist.

Sexism can be cited in the major social outlines. For example "mankind" is sexist since women are also included there. 

Saying men are the heads of families is sexist too! or withholding driving licences to women; or rebuking girls to play with car toys like boys; or boys from crying like girls. 

Sexist language and behaviour had been accepted before advancement of 21st century when feminism emerged.

 Feminism is a social theory or political movement that supports the equality of both sexes in all aspects of public and private life. 

Supporters of feminism are called feminists. Antagonists to feminism are called antifeminists

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Women had accepted they are inferior to men. Thus they willingly submitted to men as the society expected of them. 

Does it mean only men can lead and command the women to follow? Women wondered but had no platform to dispute or prove otherwise. 

Before we talk about gender sensitivity, do you think women can perform manual labour like building construction in similar efficiency to men? Or can women do better?

We live in the age of gender sensitivity. Yes, this famous 21st century. This age of scientific and technological advancement. Nevertheless, human nature and so biological make up barely alters. 

Although there are people with both female and male reproduction parts. There are also people with more feminine characteristics in male bodies or masculine characteristics in female bodies like Semenya, the South African athlete. 

What do you view these 'special' people? Is it right, for example, for Semenya not to compete against women just because she is more masculine than feminine?

Now, gender sensitivity is the process of raising awareness on how to treat people of opposite gender and  the importance of that in social and community circumstances; in workplaces, institutions etc. Why?

Because women are generally taken to be inferior to men. Gender sensitivity ensures neither gender is more privileged over or discriminated for the other. 

The Kenyan constitution has an article on gender rule in respect to gender equity and equality in leadership. It's the ⅔ gender rule. 

It dictates that there in order to respect gender sensitivity in leadership, no gender should be more than ⅔ of the total positions. 

Yet this is not the case with the current Kenyan parliament.Nevertheless females are nominated to have more representation in both the national and counties governments.

We should always ensure we behave and communicate mutually in a code that is gender sensitive when in social, corporate, job and professional settings. 

The sages say, do unto others what you would like to be done. Let's love, cherish and uphold respect for each other; this is 21st century.

 Change is inevitable, isn't it?

Written by Gîtau wa Kung'u.