Dear Aunty Miss, DO NOT BLAME MY EDUCATION!

I stood at Gwarinpa stand shortly after church service and happened to listen,quite angrily, as YOU argued about the latest gist that has assailed Nigerian media for the past few days.

In YOUR words; “The kitchen is every woman’s office. Don’t listen to all these women telling you to have a career as they will be the first to entice your husband with food…”  On and on YOU went but wait, Aunty Miss, you have shared your opinion so hear mine.

Somewhere sometime, a child was born. It wailed angrily in a bid to announce its presence. it was cleaned, swaddled and it suckled from that which gave it life. Oh yes, It was a healthy child and It was female.

Somewhere not too far away, another was born through the same process but it had a piece of flesh dangling between its legs, it was male.

Please tell me, was there a special handling for the boy? He was cleaned, I was cleaned. He was clothed, I was clothed. He was breast fed but so was I! Aunty Miss are you following?

He was enrolled in school and so was I. I came first position while he second. He pushed me and I shoved him. We were spanked and we both cried out in pain. Was his cry glorious? Perhaps a clarion call effecting a trembling of the earth simply to announce the first holy sin of another perfect creation. Was it so different from mine? Aunty Miss answer Na…

Likewise we were educated. The essence they told us was to harness our purpose. Then this must surely mean I was given one (a purpose) by the creator.

 So we spent several years acquiring skill and knowledge to harness this purpose and yet dear Aunty Miss, you tell me my office is his kitchen and his in the presidential office? How reasonable you must be!

 I ask again why did I bother my clueless head with Algebra, Pythagoras’ theory, Aristotle, World Knowledge, History, American, Chinese and German literature ? Why bother my brain with Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, psycho linguistics, systemic grammar, chemical compulsion when Aunty Miss and the other Guy would happily point that my brain is volatile but can only retain culinary skill with a body that's useful only to satisfy his canal pleasure and of course pop out more entities like them.

Well Aunty Miss, maybe you are but  I am certain that I am not! I sacrificed several years of my life to education in order to have an opinion on matters affecting me. I got an education  for me to be more than a furniture to some man who is frozen in a 15th century limbo with others like him depleting their ignorance while living in the 21st century where women have grown to be Chancellors of States, bread winners, globally recognised writers, lawyers and even taxi drivers.

Let me share some of my education with you Aunty Miss. You are first WOMAN before being a wife or mother. Your role as a woman is to find your purpose in life, educate yourself, set goals and reach them. Get a career simple! And your role as a wife? Definitely to take care of your man as his role as a husband is to take care of you.

However Aunty Miss, you confuse this very simple knowledge as best as you can. You were not born to pleasure any man. You were born to cover a lacuna ; a void that needs to be filled on this earth and it would be a shame if you filled only the emptiness in his belly.

I for one would rather fill the emptiness in the world, his brain and his belly. Tell me about the other woman whose man decided to objectify before one of the most powerful women on earth. Was she satisfying his bed and belly when she travelled to garner votes? Was she satisfying his needs when she attacked a so called “big mouth” for opposing her man’s government ? So why must she now only satisfy his needs when she decides to speak the truth which is her opinion and is her constitutional right. Or wait, does our law forbid freedom of speech and opinion? I do not think so because if it did, you would have maintained a closed lipstickless mouth at the Stand. My point is, if you Aunty Miss can have an opinion, why can’t SHE have one too?

Rather than battle one of your own, YOU must learn to stand by us if only to end this era of misogyny and chauvinistic policies. We must educate these 15th century men living in the 21st century together that we are not made to pleasure them. We can have careers, use our education, enjoy the rights of airing an opinion and still cook ourselves nice meals which they are welcome to eat if they want to.  If you cannot do this, then do not blame my education, our problem is you!

PS: I'm sorry for my long leave of absence but I am excited to announce that finally, my twinnie has decided to join the blogging business! This beautiful piece was written by Nwogu Patsy and I am sure you enjoyed it as much as I did! Expect more.