Gender Training Stories!
The
only real meaning something has is the meaning you give it. (Evolving
Relationships)
Ok, so I am responsible for Gender Training and
promoting Gender Sensitivity within the Company, either to the staff or to the
Farmer Groups that we engage. Just to set the scene I’m letting you know what I
was brought here to do!
The training groups include men, as a fact of life,
Gender training ought to incorporate everyone!
We were about to start, one of the men in the group
asked for some tea. One of the young ladies said, “Help yourself” Well blow me
down with a feather, what a hullabullo that statement caused!
The man was bitter! He started to sweat!
“young girl are you married?”
“No”
“ and with this attitude you will never be” She was giving
as good as she got
“ Sebo, have you
ever heard anyone die from not getting married?”
“ What?”
“You women are being corrupted by these Western ideas,
a woman is supposed to listen to a man and respect him, not be rude, all of
these women here are being corrupted”
All eyes on me now! I’m staying quiet to see how it
plays out
He chimes “all women are the devil”
I come in the conversation at this point. Sir do you
have a daughter?
“Yes”
“Is she a devil?”
She’s not a woman yet,
“So when she becomes a woman will she be a devil?
“Well madam no”
“So what are you saying then sir? “
He says” you know polygamy? You have that where you are
from? (where and how did that relate to
this conversation, he alone knows!!)
“I know it yes”
“Now the women are getting upset about it, they are
supposed to respect us, they are disrespecting us”
“Sir, will you allow your wife to have more than one
husband?”
“No, that is disrespectful”
“And you doing it isn’t?”
“It is very ok for a man”
The young girl is now chanting “equality for women”
“Why is it disrespectful for your wife to do the same
as you?”
“It is disrespectful because she’s a woman”
“Ok sir, let me ask you one question and then we can
resume our real reason for being here”
“How would you feel if your daughter has a husband with
many wives?”
“It’s just the way that it is Madam, it is just the way
that it is”
I press on and do what I can while I am here!
Miss young girl was still chanting!!
Peace!!
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