A Third World Country and Its ‘Woke’ Generation’s Obsession with Non-Issues
For a third world country (yes I used that phrase), elite and ‘educated’ Nigerians, especially on Twitter are obsessed over fighting for the frivolities and extras, the first world countries are now fighting for.
Nigeria has been said to be a country whose poverty index has surpassed that of India but for most of the ‘woke’ and ‘enlightened’ individuals in TwitterNG, the fight for gay rights and the need to shove down ideals of Western feminism down the throats of everyone is what is most appealing.
Today, it was a wank fest of derision of DJ Cuppy because she called out how hypocritical most feminist within the spheres of this Nigerian society are and in the process mocked the idea of talking to an Alade market woman about feminism. One of them even called it classism and said on the case of DJ Cuppy it was glaring. The other said she was tone-deaf.
It is possible that these things are true, the wealthy are largely insulated from most issues facing the middle class and lower tier members of the society. However, she made a point. Do you really think the woman at Alade market who is struggling to sell her wares just to make ends meet is interested in the ideals of Western feminism you all are trying so hard to push?
One day, it’s about chivalry being an act of benevolent sexism, the next day, it’s a discussion on how kneeling down at your traditional marriage is the beginning of the walk down the road towards ‘subservient servitude’ of your husband and how it reeks of patriarchy and misogyny while forgetting or choosing to ignore the fact that the white wedding you lot so cherish is one laden with patriarchal undertones also. Let’s not forget the never ending conversation on how cooking for your man is a reinforcement of gender roles and how you shouldn’t do it as a result (even from those who cannot cook at all).
Oh and the elitist campaign for public breastfeeding in Nigeria. Can you imagine? Nigeria of all places. Since when has public breastfeeding been a problem in Nigeria? When you’re with a crying baby in public, it is strangers who would tell you ‘Ahn ahn, madam give that baby breast to suck na’. However to TwitterNG association of woke and enlightened women it is a problem.
The woman at Alade market is not concerned with all that. Her problem revolves around how they can feed for the next couple of days, if her children would be able to go to school, where she can get adequate health care for her sick child. Those are the issues. That is what needs addressing.
The others as at now, are non-issues. They are issues of countries where feeding is not longer a problem for the most, there is access to good education and adequate health care for a majority of the populace. Only then can they now decide that, ‘you know what? Gay people should have rights’ or ‘chivalry should be tossed aside. It is demeaning to women’.
There’s something my parents would always say about such issues: ‘O ndi li ju go lu afo nwelu nsobu ndi ni’. Translates to: Those are the problems of people that have eaten to satisfaction (literally).
Oh and let’s not forget how classist the feminism some of these individual practice is. It doesn’t apply or extend to their maids or women who work under them in the offices. Females in places of authority in Nigeria are often the worst set of people to interact with. They are so rude and obnoxious to people especially their fellow females. When the excuse of them ‘having to work twice as hard or more as their male counterparts’ is given as an explanation to their crassness and annoying attitude, it doesn’t sit well with me.
If that’s the case, they should extend courtesy to their fellow women because they are soldiers in the same fight. You cover for your fellow soldier, give him a boost when needed. However that is not usually the case. It all boils down to the fact that they’re wicked at heart in general and the fight isn’t necessarily for equality of ‘all women’ to men but for them to get to the top and suppress everyone below them.
That being said, in conclusion, until we have gotten it right with the basics — food for all, access to good quality education and affordable adequate healthcare for a most and not just a selected comfortable few — these other issues are non-issues for our community. Therefore, our obsession with them is amusing and largely uncalled for. Priorities my people. Priorities.
