A photo of women voting in Kenya from the UK's The Times
We are in the middle of a tense presidential election here
in Kenya. People are on pins and needles
waiting to hear about the results. With
good reason, the focus is on the power brokers that lead the country. However, to celebrate International Women’s Day,
I would like to focus on another group – a group that has tremendous power – a power
that is often over-looked and under-valued.
This group is the women that do what is necessary to feed and educate their children.
In Kenya the hoes all have short handles. It seems kind of ridiculous at first glance because
with such a short handle you must bend over in an uncomfortable position to use
it properly. It seems that way until you
understand that the handles are so short because their length allows women to
work the land while having a child asleep on their back. With so much attention on the presidential
election, it is easy to forget the power and influence that these women can
have. They work to care for their
children and feed them. In reality, this work is no different than the
work that millions of women do around the world. They all do what they must to help their
children thrive in the best way they know how.
Today, I would like to recognize all of these women. Women that quietly go about caring for their
families and strengthening the nations – women who teach their children to be
good citizens and responsible adults and understand that this teaching is the
most important legacy they can leave.
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