In Defence of Canadian Women

Except for Anishinaabe (indigenous people), Canada is a quilt of imported women, a patchwork from the south, north, east and west of this world. Canada gave us refuge and time passed. We became Canadian women. Yes, that is the beauty of a quilt, isn’t it?

Therefore, we refuse to be divided into a.m. and p.m. During the day we are given certain instructions.

Don’t smoke like Canadian girls.

Don’t wear make-up like Canadian girls.

Don’t sleep with boys when you’re still in school like Canadian girls.

Don’t wear short skirts like Canadian girls.

Don’t hang out in shopping malls like Canadian girls.

Don’t talk back to husbands like Canadian women.

Don’t go to nightclubs like Canadian women.

What happens at night? Men conduct prayers, put daughters and wives to bed, then leave the house with brothers and cousins, to enjoy the services of the very Canadian women they label as scum. I first witnessed the hypocrisy of men of a certain religion in London, England. Nightclubs will go out of business without them.

As Canadian women, we refuse to be boxed into a.m. and p.m. because circumstances drive women to strip clubs, not because they are Canadian. The same circumstances are in L.A., Stockholm, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Brussels, Rio, Paris, Milan and Dubai. It’s not their dream job. Therefore, I cannot move to Switzerland, and blanket Swiss women as p.m. workers.

We are Canadian women, not a.m. and p.m. We have the same challenges from the government, husbands, employers and tech-crazy kids. We should not allow divide and rule, because it prolongs our struggle.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Bogger Without Borders