Hello Royalty.
I am not usually the type to write public commentaries on social matters, but you know what this is more than a social matter, this is Women’s Day!
So just as you may have guessed, today is #museday but today, the women will be our inspiration. While you read, please take time out to think about that one, two or three (even more) wonderful women in your life and think about the ways that they have inspired you.
This morning, I woke up to a poem written by @oluwafunmilayo_n.p on Instagram in celebration of International Women’s Day and she tagged me. I mean it was a great thing to wake up to, and you know, I felt so honoured!
As if that wasn’t enough already, one of my favourite blog writers @iamyeychii also made me her WCW for today. I was elated and I still am. This is her!
Back to our celebration, on the International Women’s Day website, it says that IWD celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. Last two weekends, I did a Spoken Word for the Proverbs 31 Woman Conference that held in Covenant University and you can watch it here, it starts from the 42nd minute.
About Gender Equality
If you were to ask me at any time, I do not see why there should be such a thing as ‘gender equality’; I would rather call it gender uniqueness. If we claim that no person is equal to another, why then do we try to make one gender equal to the other? That’s an even more herculean task. Innit? I strongly believe that if there is a fight for the freedom of women to work, to vote, to be a part of the society, then it should not be a fight for equality. Only when the world sees that the woman is unique and that she has something amazing to offer, only then can the woman achieve this goal. Aung San Suu Kyi wrote, “In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth, women are not merely tolerated but valued.” We need the male counterpart to realise their worth as much as we need the female counterpart to. This is because a sense of worth, of value, of importance is what build one’s self esteem which in turn urges one to succeed, not a sense of competition or comparison that equality brings. God has made each one of us unique in our own ways!
Today I join in the #BeBoldForChange theme campaign of the IWD 2017 and I have written a poem for the woman, the one who is BOLD FOR CHANGE…the one who believes in her uniqueness.
Hey woman,
Let us take a walk
On the street called miracle
And believe me
When I tell you
It was named after you.
You whose steps and strides connote the shine of every soul.
You whose glow and gait grows into entire earth’s glory
You who tried to stand to speak but was told to stay on seat
You who dared to dream and to destroy the boundaries
You who roar like a lion but also listen like a lamb
You whose absence allows the unresolved abyss of anarchy
You whose presence promotes peace
Woman,
You think I don’t know?
You think I haven’t heard?
That when you are quiet
They say you are a loner
You think I am not aware?
That when you speak
They say you are too loud
You think I wasn’t informed?
That when you are kind
They say you are begging for favours
Of course I heard the gist
That when you decide to be rigid
They say your heart is made of stone
Did they forget to remember
That the woman is like an antechamber
Like an onion
She has different layers
Like a car
Yes she has different parts
All of these differences is what makes you unique
Woman
You are needed
Needed to fill the chasm of confusion with your care
Needed to bridge the gap of greed with your generosity
Needed to uphold the importance of integrity with your induction
But woman I plead
That you thirst not for equality with men
Yes maybe equity
For fair is not always foul
But woman I stand
To fight with you
Not for equality
But for recognized uniqueness
I stand
To fight with you
That we are not to be tolerated
Only to be valued
Nor to be seen as equals
Because we never will be
But as woman and man
Each unique in every way
Forever that will be.
p.s: the pictures used today are of four friends who are just amazing people that I know personally. Their handles are @casssie_ @goldpeaches_ @olamide94 @mz_edwina and then of @iamyeychii on Instagram and yes, yours truly @alexandrazion.
Today, please remember to tell a lady close to your heart, just how much she means to you.
Goodbye Royalty,
With Overflowing Love,
Alexandra Zion.
A big clap to u Alexandra…. I feel the problem we have is the wrong consciousness that our culture places in our hands about the disparities between the male and female gender that in the actual sense do not exist. The striking word I’m adopting from ur post is “uniqueness” and that settles the ignorance that kills the supposedly “deprived and superior” gender. Divinity configures our creation into different roles and responsibilities and the only clamouring that is required is that of “participation and not equality” we don’t contend, we complement each other. We are not equal and can never be equal, we are unique because we undergo different tasks to actualise same goals, we don’t contend neither do we compete we complement, because the yardstick for performance measurement is never the same. The theme is; Be the best you can be regardless of your gender. Happy women’s Day both in arrearsand advance.
This is beautiful ???
Thank you very much Kezia.
Thumbs up!! Alex, it a nice write up….
Nice Write up Alex, I love it….
This is so beautiful, crush??
Hahaha…thank you darling!
You’re definitely an inspiration to me
This is great to hear. Thanks a lot.
Great piece Alex
Thank you so much Praise.
Haha…someone on my side too!
“Gender uniqueness. not gender equality ” ? ?
A wonderful piece Alexandra. I love the poem too.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate.