This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
As we celebrate the achievements of girls in the recent KCPE results, it's essential to acknowledge the systemic barriers that have held them back for so long.
The idea that excellence is something that boys are supposed to be while girls just try is a misconception that has been perpetuated for far too long.
It's a fact that endless odds are stacked against a girl from the way patriarchy disrupts every aspect of her life.
However, it's not about pitting boys against girls; it's about recognizing the root cause of the issue – the patriarchal systems that continually disenfranchise people based on gender, class, education, and so on.
Our outrage should be on these systems and their insidious ways, instead of insisting on gendering excellence.
Watering down female excellence by framing it as a crisis to male excellence can only be a manifestation of misogyny.
It's time to stop telling boys that not being at the top means they've failed in life because it is simply not true.
We must commit to raising secure boys who know that a girl being great at something is not a capital offence, and that their opportunities to being great are not minimal.
It is possible to celebrate both the girl and the boy without reducing either of them, and it is up to the adults to do this work of unlearning and teaching.
For these to happen, we must all agree to fight the patriarchy system because the humanity and vulnerability we want to extend to boys cannot exist in the violent structure of patriarchy.
