Nigeria and the "Facebook Feminist"

(Temidayo Ahanmisi)--You are all being manipulated, but you are either too clueless or too pompous to realise this.

This is why you lend your energy to being agents in turn of the grand delusion.

It is social media. It doesn't take a genius to control the minds of anyone in this matrix. The subjects lend themselves for use and control.

Once you realise this, everything falls into place and you see your own silliness for what it is.

So I saw one of those "submission matters" post by a dear friend this morning, and gave in to the urge to say this much, because this friend largely "gets it" when it comes to the matter of Feminism vis a vis Matrimony.

This much I submitted:

Feminism and Submission are contrived battles on the social media. Those who argue on either side are caught in a spiral of delusion and manipulation of their reasoning as well as the thoughts of the other.

I won't waste my data defining Feminism here because truth is you ALL know the definition of Feminism. You are either blinded by misogyny or blindsided by your obsessive focus on your favourite pet peeve -"Facebook feminist" - to be honest about the truth of Feminism.

I don't care much for labels, but I identify as a feminist. It doesn't faze me when friends reject the label, because truth is, some who do are more feminist than most who self-identify as feminists.

What we have as reality in Nigeria today are different individuals on different strata of understanding about the humanity and the rights of women.

There is no functional Feminism movement in Nigeria, therefore those who make long posts, mouthing off about the "evils" of "the (new wave) Feminism movement in Nigeria" are at best deluded or at worst mischievously dishonest since they posit and stir up a debate on a nullity.

It is the oldest trick in external psychological control. Those who engage with them do not see how they are sucked into the contrivance.

Look around at the Facebook profiles which are wont to go on and on about "submission" at every turn, advocating it for women, mouthing off about females and generally expressing obnoxious opinions about women and feminism.

Easily 8 out of 10 of them are either unmarried or in acrimonious engagements with their partners.

70% of them are males with ages ranging tightly between 18 to 30. The few outliers between mid 30s to early 40s are usually divorcees or individuals in the acrimonious engagements in reference.

The women in their fold, a few of whom identify themselves as "anti-feminist" are simply hustling for male patronage. 90% of them are unmarried or claim to be in "complicated relationship".

Take this to the bank. They are pitching their wares. All na hustle.

They want well-heeled male misogynists to patronise them for either sex-for-money liaisons or for marriage. I challenge any of them to take me on over this.

In summary these all qualify for the mindless urban tag of "loser category" not only in their amorous relationships, but in virtually every other aspect of their lives - from work to social associations.

This is a social survey I personally conducted. I am not inclined to submit pictorial or tabular data as these include names of persons. If you are bothered sufficiently to pursue this, it would behove on you then to conduct your own research. Feel free to counter me with sufficient evidence to the contrary.

Why am I saying this?

I don't care for any distracting butt hurt anal retentive dissension from any tight ass on the rough stats presented above. They are used to suggest intensity in a literary sense and not mathematical accuracy.

So I was talking about the "Feminism battle" being a contrivance.

Let me expand on that:

Ask yourself this: When last did you turn on the news to hear that the president or some governor, some state commissioner or even local opinion leader has weighed in on an ongoing discussion on Feminism?

This simply means that Feminism is not affecting social discourse on the streets or even in homes. There is zero awareness.

How then can you expend energy to decry "dangerous new wave Feminism", or warn about the havoc "these fb feminists" are causing in society, as some of you do, except that you are either terribly insular in reasoning, lack mental independence...or are just plain dishonest as to your true motives?

There is no organised Feminism movement in Nigeria. There is a national council for women affairs which is just another civil service behemoth. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Feminism.

There are in addition a few ad-hoc groups which may have sprung up about the 80s and '90s which mouthed the term "Feminism", but they are moribund.

You cannot talk of a movement when there is no organised corporate activism going on about an issue.

There is therefore yet no face of Feminism in Nigeria as a Gloria Steinem would be described, and rightly so as the face of Feminism in America for instance.

There can be no "modern" as there is no archaic Feminism. There is simply Feminism as sociopolitical and sociocultural philosophy expressed in varying forms as dictated by the constructs of Time and social evolution.

The terms "new wave Feminist/feminazi/femidiot" etc are personal coinages and epithets which are more a reflection of the aggress of the coiner than of the one so described.

There is Feminism on the one hand, then there is the "feminist" on the other as being human - nasty, decent, immoral, altruistic...just about anything.

The behaviour of the feminist does not necessarily reflect on Feminism except for political purposes by those who strive to tie human person to philosophy. The purposes are almost always diabolical.

There are self-styled or self-acclaimed feminists in Nigeria alright. Due to the demands of modern digital age, a considerable number of these feminists are of course on the social media.

This does NOT by default mean that there is a feminist movement. Claiming against rationality that there is a feminist movement on Facebook or social media will not automatically make this true. You are as wrong as your false claims.

Now to be sure (because suppositions are a trite part of the Nigerian fact files), the term "self-styled/self-acclaimed" does not mean automatic falsehood or nullity. It simply means that the individual or group of individuals actually describe or identify themselves as the term.

There are feminists who do not call themselves feminists. Some are illiterate. Some don't care. Some deliberately avoid labels so to avoid undue pressure to conform. Some are not on the social media. They exist.

The fact that some persons who are known as feminists are having misunderstandings amongst themselves on the social media does not mean that Feminism portends evil for the Nigerian society. It is grossly unfair to blight all feminists this way.

It is necessary to point this out because the derogatory term "Facebook feminists" is now a new buzzword wielded for mischief for the most. It suggests that there is a natural dichotomy between what anyone who claims to be feminist or supports gender equality and the rights of women says on on Facebook and what they do in real time.

I will defer to the Bible in addressing this trend.

"To the base, all things are base."

You imagine hypocrisy is lurking around whenever you encounter sound philosophy simply because you are very likely reprobate.

It is this simple.

The private issues of every feminist - self-styled or perceived is NOT a reflection on Feminism or on women's rights in general, more than a pastor rubbing olive oil in the genitals of his female congregants or a Revd. King setting his subordinates ablaze is a reflection on Christianity.

It doesn't matter that these men claim to be suffering for the cause of Christianity. Why should it then be taken as gospel when some feminist claims to be persecuted for the sake of Feminism anytime they quarrel over the right shade of lipstick, or whether APC is worse than PDP just on their say so?

Let us learn to appropriate things to their correct places, so that we can at least improve our discourse for the benefit of coming generations.

There is a big problem in our society. We are beset by poverty, illiteracy, cultural despotisms and an aversion to progress.

This dire cocktail is a deadly concoction which when taken to saturation levels will only boil over to consume the weakest and most vulnerable in our society - the female folk, and the children.

Advocating the rights to dignity, to selfhood and economic autonomy for the Nigerian woman, whether you prefer to be called a feminist or not is the duty of every decent human.

Gender Equality is a human right. Women's rights are human rights. Feminism is a noble cause. It does not have to be perfect or above the slightest reproach to be so.

Do not try to hide your acculturated disdain for the feminine gender under Facebook arguments. Nobody represents Gender Equality in Nigeria, so quit with that "let them change their approach, then I can join them" talk.

No one speaks for Feminism in Nigeria. The rights of women is a civil service issue in Nigeria - pet projects at the whims of first ladies at best. You cannot have genuine agitation for a cause when you have permanent secretaries, ministers, commissioners and estacodes surrounding the discourse.

No one speaks for Feminism on the social media either. What the lot of you so unintelligently call Feminism on the social media is a collection of cliques on Facebook, mostly peopled by women who are vocal about their agitation for a better lot for themselves as persons as persons.

A handful of them do social work in line with their ideals. They socialise within and among their cliques, and as is usual in Nigerian social groups, they quarrel. A lot. They disrespect one another a lot. This is why the fight so often. Disrespect.

The recent hoopla over some self-acclaimed turncoat somersaulting "feminist" who claims that her life vision is to "expose the lies of Feminism/feminists" should tell any discerning adult all there is to be said about "social media feminists" and their cliques.

It would be laughable if the nonsense didn't generate for and against teams all over Facebook Nigeria.

First it should be clear that she knows zilch about the philosophy called Feminism. Then of course her idea of "feminist" is solely confined to the females in the tiny cliquey enclave she hitherto cavorted in and with which she had a private falling out. She decided to make her angst a headache of universal proportions, even joining innocent Jesus Christ in her dance of frivolity.

Of course, the "feminists" staked stances for or against her depending on their personal peeves.

The insularity and myopia of these "feminists" is only too glaring.

Dear Human of Facebook,

No one is asking you to join any thing or any group. Quit with that dog-in-the-manger act of flitting from one "feminist group" to the other, gleefully spreading dissension and saying "I told you they are hypocrites". Do not be a natural scoundrel. You are made for better things.

Stand up for the social, political and human rights of your daughter, your wife/ves, your female employer, your gate man's sister.... EVERY WOMAN. Take this mandate to your homes, your office, your school, your church, your religious and cultural social groups.

We don't all have to be feminists to stand up for WOMAN.

Quit dissipating energy on trashy arguments... worrying about who is a feminist outside Facebook or not.

There is a girl child in a remote village in Ogbomosho counting on you to quit being petty and do the right thing.

Thank you.