KENDHISTOIRES

When you see me,

“Hey, what are you doing here? Didn’t expect to see you? You are also that important?!”

“Wow, you have really grown thin. Are you not getting food?”

“You look so beautiful today. I didn’t know you can dress well!”

“What are you wearing? Shouldn’t you be covering your head and legs?”

“Uuuum, aren’t those nails too long? That’s not ‘wife-material’ like

“When are you getting married? Your age mates have kids already!”

“That make up is too much for you.”

“You don’t need long hair. I like a shaved head because it’s natural”

In your mind, you only see me from the outside.

You don’t expect me to bring more to the table than my physical characteristics

When you hear me,

“Wow, you are so eloquent. So you went to school huh!”

“Your opinions are too strong. You should tone them down.”

“You are an activist. You are too difficult to handle”

“You are a politician.”

“You will not get a husband if you continue talking like that.”

“Why do you have so much bitterness?”

In your mind, you do not expect that a girl like me

Can stand up for herself, cannot accept to be a slave to your ideologies

That a girl like me can call you out for oppressing her generation

That a girl like me knows what she is worth and will fight for what is fair for her.

What have I learnt?

Maybe these systems were created to diminish me

But they do not kill my spirit

If it doesn’t work for me

I will create what works for me

You can call me all the names you want

But you cannot silence me!

You can try put me in all kind of boxes

Come up with all kind of labels

But you can never label nor box me

Because I am an empowered woman

And an empowered woman is limitless!