Its Woman's Day in South Africa

Its Women's Day in South Africa

At least we get the day

One day when the media stop to tell our story

The story tells of tears that fill wells

It screams of injustices as women scream in pain

Pain caused by poverty

beatings

murder

rape

torture

slavery

patriarchy

subserviency

less money

pink tax

and Womanhood

Having a daughter is delightful

Having a daughter is painful

Having a daughter is stressful

I was once that daughter

Let's stop. Let's celebrate.

We know we cannot afford to be cynical

Because a cynical woman is a feminist

And who wants to be that?

Can we be cynical when our champion women's soccer team earns less than the men?

Can we be cynical when 87 men are arrested for the mass gang-rape of 8 women?

Can we be cynical when our fathers

brothers

husbands

priests

doctors

homeless

Men are all more powerful? Even if we are educated, affluent, brilliant and strong.

Am I safe if I take kickboxing lessons?

Am I safe if I fight back and he dies?

But what if he hurts me and I die?

Must I go to the 1988 mortuary to get an exam?

Is the victimhood of soiled panties, a broken body and a torn soul worthy of a care packet?

Why does a vagina weaken us?

Why does it domesticate us?

Why does it afford us no peace?

No hashtag “save our girls” can reverse the Stockholm Syndrome marriages.

No author, who is the wife of a president is powerful beyond a poster.

No glorified, dignified, billionaire black woman with a school full of girls can protect even those exalted, brilliant, beautiful girls from abuse.

We are traumatised.

Emotionally

Physically

Intellectually

For evil to exist, good men should do nothing

What happens when they are stripped down, tied up and made to watch?

Can good men even speak? I’ve heard them lament their concern and witnessed their inaction.

Bad men do…

Good men watch…

So if they can't protect us and we can't protect ourselves then what must we do?

Perhaps all we can do, should do and have the capacity to do is nothing…

Or, we could take our girls, leave this planet, colonise another, become barbarous women kings, rule, wither away, die and leave no legacy, no new generation, no future…

That way at least, if we have nothing, neither will they.