Former Hot 96 presenter Annita Rey and seasoned writer/social activist Maverick Aoko made a bold statement on Friday, September 11, both agreeing that real feminism does not exist in Kenya.
Speaking during Dr King'ori's Wicked Edition show on NTV, the two went on to explain their theory.
"A feminist is someone who believes in the social, economic and political equality of both sexes, not just women. The moment they made it all about women is where they lost the plot," Rey declared.
"I agree with her, Feminism doesn't exist in Kenya," Aoko stated.
Her statement came after Annita opined that the country was confusing toxic feminism for the real deal.
However, this was the only argument in which the two saw eye to eye, as they went on to clash on various societal norms and practices in Kenya.
When it came to the issue of creating public service positions for women in adherence to the 2/3 gender rule, the two had differing opinions.
Aoko argued that if women were looking to be treated as equals, then they ought to be willing to fight it out fair and square with their male counterparts.
"The more women get empowered, the more they feel they are equal to men. We cannot be equal," she stated.
On her part, Annita made it clear that defending a woman does not imply bashing a man and vice versa.
She then added that women have been bypassed when it comes to meaningful roles in society and it was only fair that they air their voice and push for a seat at the table.
Christened the 'defender of the boychild' Aoko is known for her no-holds-barred approach to topics that most shy away from, and she made this clear live on air.
"If you are sent money and you don't show up (kukula fare), that's downright theft," she remarked when Dr. King'ori threw in the kukula fare saga into the discussion.
However, it was their take on feminism that caused a stir among viewers, as this has been an active movement in the country for decades.
Feminism is diverse, competing and often opposing collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerning the experience of women, especially in terms of their social, political and economic inequalities.
On one hand, there's the institutionally predominant type of feminism focuses on limiting or eliminating gender inequality to promote women’s rights, interests and issues in society.
The other focuses on earning and establishing equity by and for women, vis‐a‐vis men to promote those same rights, interests and issues, regardless of gender considerations.
Thus, as with an ideology, political movements or philosophy, there is no single, universal form of feminism that represents all feminists.
Watch Aoko and Annita's debate below:
{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/WAYeBxOsLWM.jpg?itok=hVP62IPd","video_url":"
