International women’s day brouhaha.
"Well behaved women seldom make history" - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.
The above quote is my favorite quote.
I had it hanging over my bed at some point as it guides my life.
Weird, I know.
I mean, a virtuous woman should have something lovelier above her head, right?
Especially since she has bible verses there, but not me.
I like disruptive women.
The ones who are bold, and brave, and in your face.
I like quiet, and assertive, and calculated women.
I like all shades of women.
The ones who refused to fit into the boxes curated for them by the society.
The ones who say "Your opinions of me is your personal business" and then go ahead to change history.
My absolute favorite kind of women.
There are neither well-behaved nor the society's standard of ideal.
The society says to be quiet in public.
Hide yourself from public gaze.
Ensure you are shy.
Remember to carry with you the shame culture we attached to you years ago.
'Don't be too ambitious you else you'd bruise your man's ego.'
'Why can't you just stick to cooking and house chores?'
'Who told you a woman can be the Leader? When there are men around?'
And that, my darling, is how the society silences well behaved women.
Being 'not well behaved' is a lot of times not even about promiscuity.
It is about not being the Society's ideal 'Lover of chores and children' woman.
I am a Woman standing on the shoulders of so many disruptive women.
So many, but my favourite are;
Prof Zaynab Alkali.
Dora Akinyuli.
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Dr. Stella Adadevoh.
These, but also the woman closest to me, and dearest to my heart; my grandmother, my Mum, my Aunts, and my cousins, and sisters.
I'm standing on shoulders of women who said not to being silenced, or well behaved but went ahead to, regardless of the noise and drama, do great.
I am a disruptive woman.
I come with a lot of questions and 'let's not do that' and 'why is it still done this way?'
The longer I continue on this path, the more I realize why only women like me make history.
Being well beheaved is the ideal so you get lost in the crowd.
But when you're disruptive;
People may hate you, or like you, but regardless of the feeling towards you they cannot ignore you.
I love all women, but especially the disruptive women, because they are the reason we have a lot of freedom we enjoy.
My friend said once that I remind him of a book titled '100 Nasty women of History' as it is a book about women who have changed history.
I think of it a lot and hope I can one day be part of the women who shape, and change history.
Even if not for the world, I hope I do it for the women in my corner.
Nothing for us without us, innit?
Too strong, amazing, and disruptive women;
May we know them,
May we be them,
And may birth them.
