For all its controversial teachings on the role and
treatment of women, the bible did provide one very inspirational insight for
men as concerns their relationship with the female gender. You have to admire
the sort of love and extended equality the Son of Man had for his female
friends. In the gospels, Jesus said “And if your eye causes you to sin pluck it
out/ gouge it out”. (Mark 9:47; Matthew 5:29; Matthew 18:9; Matthew 5:30)
It’s of course only fitting that we refer to the good book
for any direction as concerns the treatment of women by men especially as
concerns what these men see in women. For one, it is the same scriptures that
these fellows swear upon when becoming advocates of the high court. The learned
fellows at the Law Society of Kenya would do well to follow the very same
instructions given by no less than the Son of God on the evils that their eyes
cause them to entertain.
The notion of a dress code in itself is just archaic and
retrogressive for our so called African lawyers. The English barristers must
have laughed fitfully the day they saw an African lawyer complete with neck tie
and white wig in the court room.
It is just disgusting that in the 21st century,
and one whole year after the earrings and dreadlocks became fashionable in the
corridors of justice that the LSK deem peep toe shoes offensive. Not to deny
that many of these lawyers may indeed have fetishes for cute little “piggy’s”.
However, if a person has a concerning sexual appetite and is encumbered by such
uncontrollable urges over bare arms and toes, then surely in the interest of
the greater female population this person surely must be blinded. To be kind,
we could even begin by blindfolding the pervert. Should his behavior not be
curbed by that, then just as Jesus said, let us pluck out his eyes!
The whole matter of controlling the attire of female
professionals in a fraternity that ultimately should indeed uphold the rights
and interests of all its members reek of thinly guised misogyny. Yes the vice
chair of the LSK is a lady. But as we know very well, misogyny is not the
preserve of the male gender. It’s no secret that women themselves engage
actively in misogynistic acts. The worst example of such hatred of women was
demonstrated by Dr. Anita Shukla, an agricultural scientist based in India. Her
callous and unfortunate remarks after the death of the 23 year old victim of a vicious gang
rape in New Delhi capitalizes the very same misogyny found among so called
female professionals in Kenya. “She should have just submitted to the 6 men,
maybe then we could have saved her intestines.”
When the LSK sat down to discuss wardrobe in the name of “professionalism”
what indeed they did was sit down to determine the sexuality and perception of
their female colleagues by using the length of her skirt. Too long and she is “matronly”.
Too short and she is a “tart”. If her toes show it’s far too provocative. If her
arms are bare she is inviting sexual interest.
The LSK repeatedly proves itself no more capable of
understanding human rights and freedoms than the average Kenyan policeman, whom
we constantly accuse of brutality. In fact, the Kenya Police Service
demonstrates far more equality in dress code for their female colleagues than
the truly Neanderthal LSK.
These lawyers should stop being called learned. Let’s just say they have an education, one
that just leaves them backward in all regards. There is no shortage of buffoonery among
the members of the legal profession in Kenya, not least of which are pompous
louts walking around spouting Latin quotes all the while delivering injustice
via monkeys’ applications in the courtrooms.
A fraternity of the learned would indeed be at the forefront
of cementing ideals that are progressive and seek to evolve equity in society. That
one does not have to be super rich to have a excellent representation in a
courtroom, and that one does not have to be blinded to recognize women as their
colleagues and as professionals who certainly deserve respect despite where
they shop or what they wear.
This derogatory decision and its puritanical announcement to
the country simply underscores how undermined, how secondary as citizens and
especially as professionals women are perceived and worst of all by a society
that in all sensibility should be leading the revolution to seek to enhance the
freedoms and rights of all people and especially women. LSK is just yet another
organization that seeks to undermine femininity, which has announced to the
world that even the lawyers of Kenya think women should be covered up because
men will go wild with passion, as though it is the fault of women that men are
uncontrollable beasts.
Certainly, the men in LSK should be even more insulted than
the women. Because by declaring toes and bare arms a prohibition, the LSK has
also determined that men have only one natural state and that is one of a
mindless sexual beast who can easily be provoked into a sexual frenzy. That, as I said earlier,
underscores the lack of learning among this fraternity. Its a trait to be expected in a pool of undeveloped primates.
