A section of Kenyans is angry after a woman shared that she was allegedly thrown out of a women empowerment meeting on International Women’s Day for bringing her baby along. Abigael, who was sent away with her baby. Why did Kanini think of bringing baby along? The International Women’s Day conference was held on March 8, and women from all walks of life were invited. “I was delighted to go; I made myself an outfit that adhered to the theme colours, strapped my baby to her car seat and off we went. Since it was a woman-centred event, who better to bring as my guest than my little girl that would grow up into a woman, right?” asked Abigael Kanini.
When Kanini arrived at the event, she interacted with a few ladies with her baby safely held on her hip. At lunch time, they ate to their fill, cleaned up, and she knew that the toddler would have the afternoon nap of her life. The setup of the IWD event. Why was Kanini kicked out? So, Kanini started scouting for a seat close to the exit in case she wanted to go out and for the breeze in case the baby wanted to sleep. While at it, she heard a voice asking whose child was that and demanding to know where it was before. “Oh I don’t think you can be here with a baby. Yeeeaaahhh. I don’t think so,” said Lucy Jeffery as alleged by Kanini. “Oh okay. I was so floored that my jaw was on the floor. For an event about empowering women, on International Women’s Day, to discriminate against a woman simply because they showed up with a child, I can’t wrap my head around that,” said Kanini.
Did Kanini get an apology? Kanini wondered if that is what they call the motherhood tax? “Because I never for once anticipated discrimination from an event centered as around women. And what kind of feminism is this that instead of seeking inclusion, excludes women?” asked Kanini. “Are we embodying”white woman” feminism? There’s so much to unpack. Anyway, happy International Women’s day 🤗. May we continue showing up as ourselves, whatever that package looks like,” she added. Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Kanini said that despite raising the complaint, and other attendees helping her she did not get an apology. “For an event centered around women, maybe curate a baby friendly corner so you don’t exclude women with young babies,” she said. How did Lucy Jeffery react? Initially, the organiser of the event, Lucy Jeffery, reacted to Kanini’s complaint but she has since deleted it. “We allow attendees who are 18 years and older. You did not have the courtesy to inform us that you were bringing a minor to the event. If you had, Ima sure we would have asked the hotel to arrange for you childcare,” said Lucy.
“Next time, plan ahead properly and always inform us whom you are bringing to the event. Don’t alwast assume,” she said. Reactions to the story: Njeri Wa Migwi: “At all our women events babies are allowed .You can’t say you’re accelerating women and do not understand that the challenges of women having babies.” QS Tally: “While the way everyone else at the event reacted was quite harsh on you and inexcusable, I don’t find any other fault on them. Unless you are into pushing a narrative here that women should just be women, with no standards in anything that they do. First, a women’s events should not be always equated to a mother’s events. That is why even our calendars I believe we have Women’s Day and Mother’s Day commemorated in separate calendar days.” Kinjo Njoki “Some of these events don’t necessarily seek to empower women. It’s like a power card women use to showcase power, trends and not be left out. The role of the empowered woman as a mother is weirdly left out, explains what they couldn’t fathom how you’d bring a child with you.”
Victor Milito Omosh: “There are a lot of assumptions around inclusion.There are women who don’t like children/babies and they also attend such women events. How do we manage this “inclusion” without being exclusive?🤭.” La Patrona: “Other than this being the motherhood penalty, people have gotten very weird over the years. They do not want children in public spaces.”
Source: TUKO.co.ke
