Examination of Women Participation in the Advancement of Dharma

Jacob W. Buganga, Peace Psychologist / Researcher,
Peace and Conflict Programme
Department of Religion and Peace Studies
Makerere University



Women have a reputation for supporting human life development processes. Dharma is the universality of thinking, understanding, and acting for the mutual benefit of everything in return. The theoretical analysis of the concept of Dharma and women participation provides interesting views about women involvement in increasing its understanding. Women are the most compliant to the needs of Dharma of the two genders, with qualities the get in harmony with it such as patience, concern for the environment, slowness to aggress, compassionate tendency, analytical, and eagerness to understand dharma, and to change the world around her. They are willing to contribute to Dharma in various respects, backgrounds, and traditions in order to change lives of themselves, their children, and families, including boys and men. Dharma as expressed in Buddhist terms limits involvement of women as it gets associated to a differentiation, divisionism, unitarization, and denunciation of other philosophies they belong to yet dharma implies universality of thinking and saying or doing. Women participation in increasing understanding of Dharma is possible is made independent of biases and the diverse thoughts, and cultures. While that happens, women participation is advancement the understanding of Dharma is already in place, and they will always do so long as the architects of taking the message across borders relate with them as supporters of peaceful co-existence, human and ecological justice and development agents. It is therefore important to rethink the limiting concept: ‘Buddhism’ for a more universe concept: ‘Dharmaism,’ which is integrative of everything and everyone, including women.

ENVIRONMENT TERRORISM, GLOBAL WARMING AND GENDER

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
Dishma-Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
Tel. +256392614655/+256752542504
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com

An estimated 10 million people are at risk of severe drought in East Africa in East Africa. Over the years UNEP has warned of the effects of potential climate change, deforestation, and the loss of grasslands and wetlands (DeCapua, J. 2011).

The single cause of global warming today is man’s insensitive activities –including destruction of nature for survival and curiosity, and perpetuation of violence in struggle for remaining yet scarce natural resources that by far destroys life –including man himself or herself.

While we would rely on the fact that history judges people accordingly, on the part of any individual destroying the environment, it judges everyone –regardless of whether they are environment terrorists or not.

This makes conflict eminent when man’s own intentions lead to global warming, when global warming claims the already scarce resources and, ultimately, when the scarce natural resources lead to conflict.

However, experts have argued that, behind the debates on global warming are greater ill-intentions. “Some elites have created this debate, but the intended purpose is to say there are too many people on the planet unsustainably and these guys have a depopulation project going on; AIDS, bird flu, SARS and others tools yet to be unleashed. They are actually saying the 3rd world who are still using wood and charcoal, are contributing very much to global warming since they produce carbon dioxide (CO2) in great quantities, but good scientists are saying its CO2 that is needed by plants and, of course, its removed from the environment, and the amount of CO2 have never increased. There are also econ issues which haven’t been digested.” –Simon Nantamu (PhD), Global Health, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

Women in Uganda represent 80% of the agricultural labor force, responsible for 80% of food crop production, and 60% cash crop production. Such important contribution from women is undermined by armed conflict. As a result, an estimated 2.3 million children get chronically malnourished –a condition that also affects their brains (Wandera and Mashoo, 2011).

The United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 recognizes that women and girls are most affected by armed conflict and, thus, calls for their participation in decision making.

During that time, they are not in position to gather food for the family, let alone the failure to contribute to the countries economic development. On top of the lack of incomes from agricultural produce, inflation becomes the order of the day –which worsens the poverty situation at household level.

The districts of Kampala, Iganga, Mayuge, Jinja, and Nairobi were put into perspective by way of observations, focused group discussions with community members mindful of gender, stories and cases, and review of data from other individuals and organizations that have worked or lived there –in line with the questions that related to the above objectives, and visited Nairobi (Kenya) the following year for further assessment and comparison with its neighbor –Uganda.
Lifestyle choices towards management of natural resources depicted food availability and a healthy population to manage them, and young people exhibited most aggression towards the environment; modernization in Uganda was understood in terms of tarmac roads, high administrative and commercial building, highest corporate life and, not at all, in terms of development of the natural environment of which humanity was part or which sustained life systems.

In just one year 4/5 days in the coolest month (July) in Kenya were as warm as Uganda unlike the previous year –and famine now threatens life on the African continent and in particular East Africa –with children and women most endangered; features of flooded areas were seasoned during the last five years, along with broken sewerage systems that went on to contaminate food and other human environments, denying affected population access to main roads, and without electricity and, most recently, has been a threat of lightening that killed an estimated 40 people in Uganda.

In conclusion, selfish and egocentric yet destructive behaviors towards nature and nature fighting back in terms of generate conditions for infectious diseases and “wild” rains, scramble for scarce resources, famine migrations and violence.

The situation is now endangering the whole continent –Africa. “As humans get lost in what makes them be below the most stupid animal those who are armed with skills to help them become well acquainted with their issues and try to help them rise above that animal.” Fred Charles Oweyegha-Afunaduula, National Association of Professional Environmentalists, Kampala, Uganda.

ARMED CONFLICT AND GENDER: THE IMPACT, STRATEGIES, AND NEEDS OF WOMEN

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
Dishma-Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
Tel. +256392614655/+256752542504
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com


Introduction:
Armed conflict is direct confrontation between two or more parties, and within a state or between states reinforced by fatal weaponry.

Gender is a term used to refer to aspects surrounding the fact that one is a man or woman, boy or girl. WHO (2011) defines gender as socially constructed roles, behavior, activities and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women. The distinct roles and behavior may give rise to gender inequalities.

The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action calls on governments, the international community, and civil society –including non-government organizations and private sector to take action in relation to the effects of conflict and other kinds of conflict on women (Gardam and Charlesworth, 2000:149).

How Armed Conflict Affects Women and Men Differently:
Indeed armed conflict affects men and women differently due to existing gender roles, perception and vulnerabilities.

Diminished Economic Roles of Women
Women in Uganda represent 80% of the agricultural labor force, responsible for 80% of food crop production, and 60% cash crop production. Such important contribution from women is undermined by armed conflict.

During that time, they are not in position to gather food to the family let alone the failure to contribute to the countries economic development. On top of the lack of incomes from agricultural produce, inflation becomes the order of the day –which worsens the poverty situation at household level.

The 1996 armed conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) caused an economic and social crisis –exacerbating poverty and the miserable living conditions of the most vulnerable groups. Reports indicate that a third of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting), and 13 percent are affected by acute global malnutrition.

Annual gross domestic product per capita is US$119. As a consequence the country ranks 167th of 177 countries in the Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Program (WFP, 2011). Victims mentioned for priority actions were women and children returnees, not men.

Traditionally, men are looked as bread winners. Such a role too is affected during armed conflict. Men flee away and leave the highly dependent women and children at the mercy of no one. Some of the men die in war and their bodies never accounted for nor even have the families of the deceased compensated.

The usually uneducated women are left to head families under very difficult conditions –including ensuring security for the remaining family members, their health and nutritional requirements. And, where such cannot be found, as expected in an armed conflict, they die of starvation or killed by warring groups.

Effect on Food Security
The children –who sit back home waiting for the mothers to return with food are put in difficult position during armed conflict –as they can no longer fend for their families. Malnutrition becomes the order of the day for them.

It was estimated that about 2.3 million children are chronically malnourished –a condition that affects their brains. (Wandera & Mashoo 2011). While the men who often act as treasurers in families run away with the family treasury, the poor women are left in dilemma, as hardly will they afford the highly priced food stuffs on the market during war time.

Economic sanctions add to the menace of economically handicapped and starving family. UN resolution VII provides for sanctions against any country considered to be a threat to international peace and security. Economic embargo on Iraq against the aggressive and defiant Saddam Hussein was only felt the civilian population in the forms of starvation.

Article 23 and 55 of the Fourth Geneva Convention imposes obligation on the occupying states to provide protection and essential supplies to civilian population. However, this is often far from reality, as most often war damage is indiscriminate, and reparations are imposed on the vanquished with little regard to the detailed effect on the nation –wholesomely.

Culture and Femininity in Armed Conflict
Cultural orients women to be submissive and not-at-all aggressive. The business of aggression is left to men. While men can fight their way or defend themselves to safety, women will be left to meet the inhuman actions of militant groups and warring armies.

Those, in most cases, are subjected women to rape or forced marriage to senior ranking military officials as gifts or loots-to-share. According to UN report on the war in DRC, raping women –including minors was used as a terror tool. Ugandan was among those implicated in the murder of hundreds of Congolese civilians –on top of raping them, and burning some others, alive (Tabu, 2010).

An estimated 822 aged between 13 and 25 were raped in Bunia (MSF, 2003 in Tabu Report, 2010). In 2005, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported 1, 292 women –who were victims of sexual violence and as many again in the first six months of 2006 (MSF, 2006).

Forced impregnation were reported as highly eminent on Rwandan women (Green, 2002). With reports of doubled population since 1995, one wonders whether such pregnancies could have a link it –alongside the notion that it (doubled population) was an act of racial survival for the Tutsi. Children of rape have been reported with an estimated 2000 to 5000 women having given birth, and children immediately labeled: unwanted children.

Men also raped!
Reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also indicated the men were raping fellow men as a war humiliating weapon. That, though, is (or was) an isolated case compared to reports about women raped during armed conflict.

That was confirmed in the New York Times (2009) that armed men broke into Kazungu Ziwa’s hut, placed a machete on his throat and pulled his trousers down. “…they raped me,” he said. “It was horrible, physically. I was dizzy. My thoughts just left me.” That reduced men like Ziwa into “women” –a feeling that is traumatic enough for an African man -who strongly believes that man is man, not woman.

Effects of Men Involvement in War
Traditionally, it is strong men who are called upon to engage in an open war. The direct costs of war are higher for men than women because of men's front line role during armed conflicts. Even in armies –where women are part, facing the enemy is the role of the man.

When war is over so many men will be killed and many women widowed. Women will be left without companions –something that denies them of their natural sex rights. The war in Iraq left the country with more than one million war widows. A strategy had to be developed to help meet their sex rights, among other things.

Aggression and War-mongering
From the sociological perspective, men tend to be more aggressive than women in aspects to do with manifestation of power and in war decision making that turn out to be disastrous to mostly women and children (as often reported). Probably, if they participate in decision making, being the most sensitive ones to safety concerns, they would have worked to prevent war.

For men, not until they suffer from combat burn-out would they rethink war or condemn it. The United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 recognizes that women and girls are most affected by armed conflict and, thus, calls for their participation in decision making.

Unconditional ‘Marriage’ to Warlords
As a means to negotiate safety, women often give in to their captors and offer them sex for pleasure and celebration of victory, and conditionally or unconditionally become their ‘wives.’ As they are forced to marry elsewhere, they are disengaged from their families (husband and children) they are most attached to. It is never possible to deal with the lost bond. In addition to the sex aggression and trauma that characterize armed conflicts, they suffer from chronic depression and anxieties resulting from lost family contact.

Separation Due to War
Men's fate as an outcome of separation due to war is not as depressing to them as culturally can be acceptably so to women. Men are traditionally backed to always find new wives when they need to, and to expand the family size.

At the end of the war such is understood and acceptable, but not if it were women in men's position. The women (wives) will automatically lose the former husbands –who hardily stomach the fact that his their wives were forced to marry and bare children elsewhere.

Safety Concerns in Armed Conflict
Men –who are mostly active politically will run away from hostile environments to save their dear lives –leaving women and children behind to pay for their (men's) sins in the hands of the enemy. Unless the international humanitarian law took its course, the remaining family would be used to lure back the wanted politician.

Brigadier Smith Opon Acak, a former senior army officer in Obote government was forced to return after years away from his family. But upon arrival, he met his death at the hands of the notorious NRA/M government soldiers.

One the other hand, the traditional nature of men (to be brave) turns them into defensive posts for families. In case of an attack on the family, they will fight to see it safe. However, when they fail, they are killed –leaving behind fatherless and husband-less household.

Families will be economically handicapped –unable to meet day-to-day bills for a functioning family life. It can be a horrible beginning for the family after the event. To humiliate the husbands and fathers, especially the peaceful ones, attackers could resort to raping wives and daughters in their presence.

Spread of HIV/AIDS
Because in armed conflict, rape is the order of the day, rather than negotiation for sex between men and women, or soldiers and their women captors, it is likely that they will catch HIV/AIDS. One HIV positive soldier could spread the infection to a thousand women in an area occupied by his militant or fighting group.

And the absence of reproductive health services even makes the situation worse. Services such as access to condoms and HIV testing will be hard-to-reach during conflict time, as health services like the entire economy would have collapsed. 1 in 3 women were raped in Northern Kivu, and over 30 of them have been infected with HIV/AIDS.

Unlike men, who are privileged with access to male condoms and can determine to use them or not, women condoms are rare on the market and not freely accessible by them. In armed conflict where negotiation for sex simply does not exist, women can hardly protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.

Henceforth, they are most likely to catch it than men let alone the other physiological vulnerability factor (s) like larger surface area of the vagina that eases HIV infection. No wonder, three young women are infected with AIDS for every one young man in Africa (Ezekwesil, 2011).

Media for Women in Armed, not Men
Majority media practitioners are women –who are most visible at conflict sites and have been very instrumental in reporting women concerns in armed conflict. Women journalists hardly report the costs of war on men –not even the male soldiers killed. That makes it difficult for the international community to account for the men lost in armed conflict side-by-side with women and children killed and are reported in the media.

Strategies for Peace in the Great Lakes Region:
The strategies for peace in the great lakes region are political, social, economic, regional and global.

Decentralized or Federalized System of Governance
Since Mobutu Sese Seko's time as President in Kinshasha, his government was highly centralized as a means to tighten his authority and be felt in the fragile country. Towards the end of his regime, his authority leaned most towards the capital only –while the rest of the country was with no felt authority. Such gave room for demands of autonomy and power in places like Kivu and Kisangani.

The size of the country too made control of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) territory difficult. It emerges today as the largest country in Africa and with largest water, forests and other natural resources in Africa.

Those natural environments generate conditions for banditry to shrive. Perpetrators of crimes against humanity as a cost to enrich them-selves are both local and international. Decentralization or federalism as recognized system of government would suit the nature of DRC to enable the authority there widen security tentacles and easily rid the country of violence.

Mass Education on Gender and Peace
Mass education of all citizens and at all levels of social functioning is ideal for post conflict countries in the great lakes region. In Rwanda, it has been the vision to help rewrite its history from a bi-racist country to a one people of Rwanda.

The education system in the region should be one that taps human rights and gender issues, patriotism and national cohesion –be it the military, at universities, or public service. Refresher programs for generations or professionals affected by the genocide or war in the region could help re-direct them to a future free of violence.

Gender Mainstreaming
Contrary to today, where different sectors of the countries are dominated by men, gender streamlining is ideal –focusing on involving women in all such sectors of development to give their side of opinion and expertise where needed along-side men.

That includes areas like the military and in policy making bodies –where decision making could leave a gap of women concerns; yet they are not only majority of the population, but contribute entirely to the wellbeing of communities –both in production and reproduction (or procreation).

Gender Laws in Armed Conflict
Gender might be an important theme on local and international legal documents, but their potency is a critical source of concern. There must be international pressure to prevail among states that take the issues of women in armed conflict less seriously.

States and governments should be pressured to incriminate culprits of gender based violence –even in rebel held areas. And, where they fail, commanders and governments get committed to the international institutions of justice like the international court of justice (ICJ) and international criminal court (ICC).

Women Needs:
Women needs are entirely community needs. It may be put that women are most concerned about those needs than men.

Peace and Security
Women are very much concerned about security, because it is under peaceful atmosphere that they will carry out their productive and reproductive roles, and raise their children. If women were given a chance to choose between war and peace –without other undue forces pressurizing them to respond otherwise, probably, they would chose peace as opposed to violence.

UN resolutions 1325 stresses that women and girls suffer the worst forms of violence in armed conflict and thus call for their participation in decision making, reconstruction and peace building efforts. It argues that there can not be sustainable peace if women are not participants in peace construction efforts.

Education of the Girl Child and Skills Training for the Adult Women
Modern education ought to cater for both informal and formal education. Modern education has tended to undermine the informal one that equipped women with critical skills of life and turned them into responsible parents and wives –the ingredients that modern education tends not to capture like the aspects of making love affair interesting and sustainable.

Formal education is also pertinent as it is a measure of employability. An employed woman will be in position to sustain the needs of the family –even if the husband died, unlike in a situation where she is not educated and merely a housewife.

It has also been conceived over time that educated women will want to see their children educated than the uneducated ones –who in their adolescence look out for who to marry. It can, in a long run, mean availability of skilled labor force for the nation to take advantage of.

As part of reconstruction and peace building efforts, women, who did not go far with education would need other basic skills training to reduce over dependence on the unreliable agricultural sector –which, if affected by drought they would have nothing to do, but to succumb to famine. Information technology, business and entrepreneurship can be essential skills to consider.

Employment Opportunities for Women
Once women are employed, it will not only mean family wellbeing, but a shield against abusive men –who treat their dependent housewives as sex objects and as punching bags –when stressed elsewhere.

Dependent women tend to loose their reproductive health rights and easily succumb to the infidelity of husbands -with no other options. It is very likely that a self-sufficient women will earn husband’s respect and less likely to be mistreated. In case of unavoidable divorce or separation, they easily cope compared to dependent housewives.

Clean and Health Environments
Women need clean and healthy environments to guard against diseases like malaria and dysentery –which are common in city slums and rural areas. In health centers and hospitals, maternal care services need to be improved to accommodate the ever increasing number of births per year. There must be qualified personnel to handle such cases and to provide quality care enough to prevent maternal-related deaths.

Conclusion:
Women suffer most in armed conflict influenced by their pre-war social, economic and cultural positions and roles. If such can be addressed to equal men, they with men will begin to suffer the same impact of war.

However, care must be taken to evaluate men's position over time, so that new structures aimed at eliminating women discrimination do not turn out to be very discriminative against men.

REVISED: Are Women Really the Weaker Sex?

After the world war, women came to the limelight, and many flocked to workstations -having impressed in war adventure. Occupation-wise, they moved to the same radar as men.

Success of civil rights movements in 1960s helped to strengthen the position of a woman in Western Europe. Events soon set impulses to the Middle East. Women, there, did not enjoy the same privileges as men. And they were vulnerable to physical and verbal attacks.

Numerous prejudices were channeled to them. The structures in place had its oppressive dos and don’ts for them. But women, still, were the most oppressed –as they did not enjoy economic, educational and economic rights. Instead, as let down by Napoleon Bonaparte, women in the Middle East were a reserve of the kitchen.

In Uganda, strides have been made to liberate women. The country, now, boasts of reasonable number (of women) in political offices at different levels. Employment opportunities too are very much open to them, as is the gate to further studies. As a result, very many are rising to prominence.

Emphasis on women education has seen off women take positive advances in life. Even adults now go to adult literacy centers for further training which has helped guard against men chauvinism; increase their economic and social power. Women now find themselves capable of doing anything a man would like; managing a business firm, contesting a political office, and acting in self-defense against men violence

Biblical personalities like Mary (mother of Jesus Christ), Ruth and Bathsheba -who played leadership roles in Israel. God used them to fulfill his purpose in the world –of bringing salvation to sinful mankind.

There also exist women groups or associations that advocate and uphold women successes in their economic, educational and political strides. In these networks they enjoy advantages of sharing support information, encouraging and supporting education of the girl child etcetera.

The secret of women’s indomitable power tends to only be a preserve for the military. They are usually aware of the problem of trusting women. Soldiers, who all victim of women irresistible influence, could be doing so at own peril.

No wonder, women have proved best workers for defense or security intelligence gathering. This could explain why President Muammar Gadaffi of Libya preferred women power to men's for recruitment as bodyguards. So, why are women considered the weaker sex?

With such, it sounds great deal of capital for any successful negotiations. It would only be a matter of asking herself, “what?” Surely, women are bound to be decision makers anywhere and anyhow. Already, there are acceptable assertions to that regard –given the saying, “behind every successful man, there is a woman.”

As it is already happening, in future, all decisions would no longer just be bedroom-based -but in all spheres of human activity. Simply, it would be a woman’s availability that would matter -whether one or two of them -to cause an effect by her will.

But women are gradually coming to terms with the changing cultural and socioeconomic realities. It is very possible to find a woman entirely supporting a family without the help of a “man” -while at the same time married to “him”.

It would, therefore, be true that the so-called decisions men of any caliber make are actually women’s. Men could simply make any such decisions unconsciously. And so is a wave, this time round, called the strength or power of a woman. We could as well see cultures that earlier genetically discriminated women, get eroded. Should we expect emergence of men movements, thereafter, to advocate gender equity as women movement could have done?

GENDER: WHO IS THE WEAKER SEX?

During slave trade era, both men and women where subjected to harsh treatment. The question of the day was mostly about racial superiority –in a donkey and master relationship.

After the world war, women came to the limelight, and many flocked to workstations -having impressed in war adventure. Occupation-wise, they moved to the same radar as men.

Success of civil rights movements in 1960s helped to strengthen the position of a woman in Western Europe. Events soon set impulses to the Middle East. Women, there, did not enjoy the same privileges as men. And they were vulnerable to physical and verbal attacks.

Numerous prejudices were channeled at them. The structures in place had its oppressive dos and don’ts for them. But women, still, were the most oppressed –as they did not enjoy economic, educational and economic rights. Instead, as let down by Napoleon Bonaparte, women in the Middle East were a reserve of the kitchen.

The non-violence was critical strategy in the struggle for civil liberties. Women movements in Middle East applied it for self liberation purpose. The courageous, non- combative action-expression of ones human rights was used emancipate women in Gaza. It was a universal spiritual foundation for earlier rights activist –mainly in Europe and Asia.

As spiritual, it called for faith and determination by passively acting out to denounce human rights violation, boycott payment of taxes, refusal to provide professional services, and disapproval of oppressive rulers -massively. People felt that they could use immediate endowments as choice and passive actions (as given above) in an attempt to make human rights sense to their aggressors.

Famous in successful use of non-violence approach were; Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Martin Luther King (USA), Mahatma Gandhi (India) and Silo (Argentina). They showed courage by expressing their human rights within the same oppressive structural systems.

The advantage to it was that it helped hit at oppressors psychologically, thereby, paralyzing their evil actions. For sure he (oppressor) would have chosen being gunned down rather than mentally intoxicating him -psychologically. It must have been really effective.

In Uganda, strides have been made to liberate women. The country, now, boasts of reasonable number (of women) in political offices at different levels. Employment opportunities too are very much open to them, as is the gate to further studies. As a result, very many are rising to prominence.

There also exist women groups or associations that advocate and uphold women successes in their economic, educational and political strides. In these networks they enjoy advantages of sharing support information, encouraging and supporting education of the girl child etcetera.

As of now, domestic violence is more true to women, who drop out of school earliest. This is so, because they highly dependent on men, and lack sufficient information and knowledge of parenting. And more so, have less value or not at all for education.
Such a trend tends to trickle down to the children, there on by way of limiting their chances to either attaining basic education or higher studies. But emphasis to education has seen off women take positive advances in life. Even adults now go to adult literacy centers for further training.

Christian women too are encouraged to actively play community roles. They get inspiration from Biblical personalities like Mary (mother of Jesus Christ), Ruth and Bathsheba -who played leadership roles in Israel. God used them to fulfill his purpose in the world. Regardless, of ones position and qualifications he or she could make a difference in their communities.

As away of expressing power and liberty, they get involve in acts of lesbianism. The political atmosphere too is worthy appreciating. For it has given women in Uganda a platform to express their views.

Also, a lot of changes are taking place globally with so much movies inflow and unifying communication medium. Women now find themselves capable of doing anything a man would like; managing a business firm, contesting a political office, and acting in self-defense against men violence.

And because of men’s strong impulse for sex, women use them (men) -as means of getting business capital and meeting other economic ends –regardless of if she were; married, just sex fanatic, and at the verge of eloping or cohabiting.

Whilst under women power, men can be so foolish that they would not make shrewd decisions. In instances, where the spouse is wicked, the man too would. Yet if there were to be punished or met by a natural consequence (an action and reaction phenomenon), both would suffer for their sins.

Unfortunately, artificial laws implicate only men, which is terribly wrong –unknowing that women make critical points to any effect, while the men merely nod. The secret of women’s indomitable power tends to only be a preserve for the military. They are usually aware of the problem of trusting women. Soldiers, who all victim of women irresistible influence, could be doing so at own peril.

Besides, with new trends in fashion design and wear, women do make serious “statements” to place men under their control. The lust or love aspect of their power could have far reaching benefits for the intelligent woman.
They could mere make demand and subsequently be met by sexually thirsty men.

No wonder, women can best work for defense or security intelligence gathering. This could explain why President Muammar Gadaffi of Libya preferred women power to men's for recruitment as bodyguards. So, why are women considered the weaker sex?

With such, it sounds great deal of capital for any successful negotiations. It would only be a matter of asking herself, “what?” Surely, women are bound to be decision makers anywhere and anyhow. Already, there are acceptable assertions to that regard –given the saying, “behind every successful man, there is a woman.”

As it is already happening, in future, all decisions would no longer just be bedroom-based -but in all spheres of human activity. Simply, it would be a woman’s availability that would matter -whether one or two of them -to cause an effect by her will.

Then, they could bitterly run for highest political positions no matter whether it is Africa or not, act rudely towards men, control basic power attributes -as sources as money and mineral wealth, bidding for men to marry or even easily approaching them, taking over the independent-minded tendency of “men”, supporting huge family bills –while “men” take over the womanly lifestyle that is babyish –needing care and attention, and playboy-like life.

But women are gradually coming to terms with the changing realities. It is very possible to find a woman entirely supporting a family without the help of a “man” -while at the same time married to “him”.

More so, are cases of single parenthood (mainly of women), which is gratefully embraced to replace the “useless” man (no longer a man). Silva Kyagulanyi’s song -that encourages women to suffer under batter-some men would soon lose market.

As of now, places -where women power overwhelmed men, as in India, It is “women” -who marry “men” and go as far as paying bride wealth for them. In fact, they show greater worry of finding “men” -as men enjoy the “womanly” pride. In this case, while men surprisingly turn feminine, women, on the other hand, do the opposite. What a paradigm shift!

It would, therefore, be true that the so-called decisions men of any caliber make are actually women’s. Men could simply make any such decisions unconsciously. And so is a wave, this time round, called the strength or power of a woman.

We could as well see cultures that earlier genetically discriminated women, get eroded. Should we expect emergence of men movements, thereafter, to advocate gender equity as women movement could have done?

Jacob Waiswa,
Community Psychologist
+256774336277
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com