The Bias Against Women

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

 

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