Literary Editor Raises Some Valid Questions After Netizens Wondered Why An Old Man Should Be Cooking For Himself
A literary editor, Mwende Kyalo has questioned why society frowns at older men taking care of themselves while expecting their equally old wives to take care of them.
Kyalo’s post came after the picture of an old man in presumably western Kenya, cooking Ugali for himself, was shared online.
According to Kyalo, going through the comments under the picture, she was really disturbed about the underlying assumption of many, that if his wife was around, he wouldn’t be cooking for himself at that age, but his wife.
She pointed out that women’s bodies go through more battering at a young age, including during childbirth, yet, in older age, a woman is expected to be strong enough to care for her husband.
She then asked why women should be men’s retirement plan? How come that man is regarded as too old to be cooking for himself but a woman his age isn’t?
She wrote:
“I know I’m really late to that discussion of an old man in presumably western Kenya, cooking Ugali for himself. But something about it has really been disturbing me.
“There were a lot of takes on what that man did to end up lonely in old age.
“But what concerned me the most, was this underlying assumption, that if his wife was around, he wouldn’t be cooking the ugali for himself. She would.
“Now I’m assuming the proverbial wife is the same age as him.
“So that made me wonder, how come that man is regarded as too old to be cooking for himself but a woman his age isn’t?
“Why is a 60+ old woman regarded as having more energy than a 60+ old man?
“Where is she getting the energy from?
“Yet logically speaking, her body has undertaken way more manual labor than the man’s?
“Because we have to face our reality as Africans, that in most communities after Colonisation, it’s the women who farm and take care of the home. And that’s back breaking work.
“And we haven’t even talked about giving birth to children. How pregnancies take from the woman’s body. A woman’s body is never the same after giving birth.
“And we haven’t even considered taking care of the same children who’ve depleted the woman’s body. We haven’t talked of sleepless nights, carrying children on the back etc. All things that take a toll on the woman’s body.
“So women are men’s retirement plan. And society finds that normal.
“But who is the woman’s retirement plan? Who is supposed to cook and wash for her in old age?
“What’s the plan from the people who recommended that the old man marry a young wife? What would they recommend for an old woman? Or do they imagine that women don’t age as well?”
Her post generated comments from netizens sharing personal family stories.
