Man Talk: The women we want to hail this Women’s Day

Away from the obvious mother, wife, daughter...which women are not dully recognised in society for their role that the men would like to hail this Women’s Day?

Eugene Mugisha
The mothers always get the attention, so this time round, I give it to the help. Yes, the housemaids, the nannies, the baby sitters, etc. By filling in the wide gap left by our women, they keep us from blowing our heads off in frustration. It is them who enable society to maintain its precarious hold on stability.

Jamie
Salon women. I know they have a reputation for idle talk, a reputation that might or might not be fair, but these women contribute to the many relationships in untold ways. They are always there to doll up our women and to make them pretty for our eyes. The women think they have to have their salon fix or they’ll go crazy and these people in the salons are on hand to avert this catastrophe.

Andrew Wallace
There is the group of women who wake up very early every day, get their baskets and to go to Main Markets like Nakasero, Nakawa, Kalelwe... to buy fresh vegetables and bring them closer to us in the residential areas.

Why I really think they are special is because, firstly, I have not seen many men do this kind of work. And while the rest of the “corporate” passengers wearing fancy clothes and perfumes in the taxi avoid sharing the taxi seat with them, they hold on patiently with their dirty baskets or sacks, clad in raggedy clothes minding their business until they get to the market place, then jump off.

I had a chance to listen to one lady’s story (the one who brings fresh vegetables near my home). She told me how she has to get to the market by 5a.m everyday (rainy or not), and make a living out of this kind of business.

Benjie
Let me talk about waitresses and bartenders. Especially the ones that work in ordinary restaurants/bars and down town. These hardworking women are paid so little by their employers, and sometimes abused by clients. They soldier on though, feeding men who barely say a thank you.

The ones that work in high-end restaurants and bars also have to put up with rude patrons, serve food or alcohol they cannot even afford, working odd hours, and suffering lots of indignity. So, I will celebrate waitresses and bartenders.

The Guys
Benjie, the liberal: 27, single and around
Eugene Mugisha: 28, “the dating guru”
Andrew, just Andrew: 29, In a relationship
Jamie, the realist: 35, married, with two children

fullwoman@ug.nationmedia.com