The challenges faced by ambitious women
In a culture that has been historically male-dominated for centuries, women have often found themselves relegated to the sidelines, with rigid expectations dictating their roles.
This culture has frequently favored men, labeling them as superior and women as inferior.
Challenging this established order has, more often than not, resulted in women who question the system being pushed to the periphery and sometimes even subjected to ridicule.
Ambitious women have encountered resistance, as their aspirations are met with reminders that they are overstepping societal boundaries.
Unconsciously, many parents have continued to direct their ambitious daughters away from the spotlight, driven by their desire to protect them but inadvertently stifling their potential.
Women often set aside their desires for greatness because society has labeled powerful and ambitious women as either feminists or simply “angry.”
It is perplexing that when a man vigorously pursues his dreams, he is celebrated and applauded, while a woman who attains powerful positions is frequently labeled in derogatory terms, ranging from “slut” to “undeserving.”
Well-meaning friends and family members often persist in reminding ambitious women that their pursuit of financial independence and dreams might jeopardize their chances of finding a spouse.
Despite Kenya celebrating milestones in women’s empowerment over the years, the path to complete freedom remains distant.
Many women struggle within marriages when they hold powerful positions because societal pressures keep emphasizing that they shouldn’t thrive.
It is as if there is an underlying rule limiting women from achieving greatness, and those who defy it are treated as outcasts.
Women continue to face sidelining in boardrooms simply because of their gender, forcing them to exert tenfold effort to prove their worth.
They have even found themselves earning less than their male counterparts for performing identical roles. The question that lingers is: who will liberate women from these constraints?
Younger women, through their efforts to push for freedom, have often faced opposition and criticism.
Notably, individuals like Mercy Tarus have been unjustly labeled, particularly by men.
Some have gone as far as suggesting that her quest for justice would have been different if she were a man, underscoring the persistent gender biases that women face.
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