 What's up guys, guess who I am hanging out with on SPM Bass. It's a lovely Janet Mbuga. Hey, how you doing? I'm doing very good, oh my goodness. You have no idea how much of a big fan I am to you. Man, thank you so much. I'm a fan of yours too, I've seen your work. I know we followed each other. So keep up, you're doing really great. Yeah, thank you guys. I hope I can do this calmly because you have no idea. But Janet, I'd really like to know why you're here today at Zitec University and what are you guys doing? I'm part of a group called Better for Kenya. I consult, it's an organization that uses influencers to talk about gender equality issues. Because when you have people like Maureen or Kaka talk about it, people really listen. So other than that, I'm also the founder of Inua Dada. So I'm a social justice advocate. I'm passionate about GBV issues, sanitary pad issues like menstrual hygiene. And I'm a strong believer that if I use my voice, I can create a better world for my kids. My sons are three and six. And I want them to grow up in a world where they're more aware. They are also speaking up for people and people are speaking up for them. So I'm here all around. And finally, I'm a student of life. I'm also learning every day. I never assume I know everything. And every day is a learning curve. So I'm really happy I spent time at Zitec today. Yeah. I mean, Janet, you just say it as student of life. I'd really like to know, what is that one lesson you've learnt lately and you're just going by it? I really like that question. I think life can throw curveballs at anybody. Now, I had two choices. Do I let it break me or do I let it build me? What I have found is that when life throws you something, it only makes you stronger and it makes you able to use that to change other people. So what I'm going by is whatever life throws at me now, I'm just going to integrate it into my life, but I'm also going to self-care. So even if I have to deal with it, I'll deal. Therapy, talking to a friend, praying about it. But I'll also use it as a way to strengthen me. And I really hope and pray that one day a lot of people can see that your character development is real and every day there's an issue, but it should build you, not break you. So that's what I've learnt lately. Yeah. I mean, trust me, character development is real. You know, right? I know. Now, Janet, you've been called a feminist before, you know? And I totally resonate with that because I have been told that before. Now, what comes into your mind when feminism is mentioned and especially in Kenya whereby feminism is just changing meaning? That's another really good question because feminism, the way it started, was people were trying to get women to have the same access as men. It wasn't about women having more than men, even though that's how it's seen. But feminism and equality and equity and all these big words are really about how do we improve everybody's life? Now, for a very long time, women and girls were left behind. Yeah? I know that there's a lot of crying out of, what about the boy child? What about men? Cool. We hear it and we get it. And I think now we need to be bold enough to have very difficult conversations because we still have a lot of gaps for women and girls. But we also recognize that we need to build with men. Right? So I am a feminist because I believe everybody's life matters. It started with saying we need to bring women and girls up. Now we need to move together. I'm raising two sons. They're three and six. And every day I'm teaching them lessons on treating everyone equal, not just treating me because I'm mom and I'm a girl, whatever, treating everyone equal, making sure that if they see something happening and my older son does it now, he says at a party the other day, somebody made a joke and he said, but you can't say that because she's a girl. And then all the moms are like, yeah, when you talk to a janet, it's okay, but also, they also say they are pro boys and pro girls. So let's raise that generation. Feminists care about women having the same access as men. They don't care about women having more than men. And unfortunately, it's been diluted to say that. And that can harm the movement. Why don't we all move together, hear each other out and find a way that we can improve everyone's life together. Yeah. Oh my God, you're doing such a good job raising the boys. Thank you. We're gonna get to that just a little bit, but I wanna know this video that went around of this lady on Forest Road with the hooligans. Let's just not even call them writers. Let's just say hooligans. When you saw that video, how did that make you feel? It made me feel that that could have been me. It made me feel that that could have been any one of us. And it made me feel that sometimes when you see things like that happen, it's a reflection of maybe how we perceive women. And people don't like to hear that. I know even now, I say what I say, oh, what about us, we get it, but to strip a woman to her underwear is proof that there's some people who believe that that's okay. So it made me really frustrated. It made me scared. It made me worried. And it made me say, okay, we actually need to keep talking. And you know what the thing is, talking is hard. Doing the work is hard. I always say that, like, every day I do this work. Every day, I'm talking about something because I'm passionate about it, but it's hard work. Because you talk to somebody who says, imagine, and you have to come face-to-face and ask the guy, why do you say that? And that's what he believes. That's what some women believe. Like, imagine doing that every day. So we have to keep having the conversations and keep making people know whether you hit a man or a woman, you have no right to. You have no right to inflict pain on any human being. So it made me feel scared and safe, worried. But at the same time, I think it's a teaching moment to say we need to keep having the conversations. We need to hold perpetrators accountable. And we also need to do a lot of ground-activations, talking about GBV issues, yeah. I mean, you know you're very passionate about GBV. Janet, is this something you've gone through in life? And would you like to talk about it? And, you know, just talking to women who are going through gender-based violence in their homes and they still remain in that home. I want to speak for women who have gone through it and men. A lot of men and women need to speak up if they've gone through it. They need to report. There's numbers to report on. There's organizations there to help them. So it's important that they do that. Yeah. You see, sometimes women say that even if they report, they don't get help. You go to the, I've seen people say that you go to the police station and they tell you, you need to go to the police station and they tell you that you need to report. What did you like to tell those women? Keep pushing. Listen, access to justice is a right. It's a right. Access to justice is a right. If you didn't get help at a police station, talk about it and say, I went to this police station and this is what they told me. So a lot of our role as people who are in the space is to say, let's take it up. Let's make sure whoever told her, Rudy Numbani is reprimanded and let's make sure she or he still has access to justice because that's a right that everyone deserves. Yeah. I mean raising boys is also not very easy. You know, what is that one lesson you try to instill in them and just, you know, try to make sure they grew up with that, you know, vice. The value. The value, sorry, not the vice, but the value, sorry. Everybody matters and everybody matters equally. So whether you're a man or a woman, inclusive, being inclusive, being somebody who sees the world and people as equally human, go in like that. You know, hold kindness, but stand up for yourself. But what I always tell them is that just because we, you know, you go to a certain space or speak to certain people doesn't make you better or lesser than anyone. Everybody's life matters equally. Go into life that way because it allows you to see the humanity in everyone. Yeah. You post a bear that day and say it, don't, do not die in your 40s. And be buried in your 80s, men, women. Don't die in your, not even 40s. Don't die in your 20s. Don't die in your 30s. Don't die in your 40s or 50s. And that means that don't give up on who you are and submit to a life that's not for you just because everybody says so. Strive for a life that makes sense for you. It's not easy, but your life matters equally. So don't die in your 20s, 30s and 40s and be buried in your 80s. As long as you're alive, as long as you're watching this, you actually have a chance to carve out a life that works for you. Respect yourself, respect others. Was that just a general comment or is this something that you resonate personally? I think every human being resonates with that. Like when I heard it being said, everyone in the room could hear it. Every man or woman needs to hear it. So everybody needs to hear that. When you're dealing with, like if you deal with something, it shouldn't mean the end of your life. It should mean the rebirth of the new you. So I think that don't die in your 40s or 30s or 20s is for everyone. Be respectful, be kind, respect yourself, respect others. Your life matters, your voice matters. Use it. You know, I could go on and on, but I'm gonna try and finish up on this one. The other day I was listening on radio and they were having this conversation on women getting into politics and just to know single women not being able to lead because they are single. What are your thoughts about that? This is the thing. Like you know, even when we were in the room and people were talking about violence against men, the first instinct was to laugh. We already need to address that because the moment we laugh about things that affect somebody, it means the person doesn't feel like they have value. Anybody can vie for politics. In 2022, it doesn't really matter anybody's status. Are they up for the job? Are they good at what they do? Then vote for them. So people shouldn't be discouraged by what society says. In 2020, who you can make yourself who you are, but you have to put in the work. You have to put in the work and you have to put in the research. You have to be passionate because if you're not passionate, it'll catch up with you. So please, for you, for anybody watching, you can carve out the life you want for yourself. I know it sounds like Naungaia too, but it's true. And there are people who believe in you. So Julisa, is this something I want? Is this something I can do? And then go for it. Yeah. As a finish-up, Janet, please talk to your fans and just tell them how do you go about on your bad days and what keeps you going? Lately I've been talking a lot about mental health on my platform a lot. And when my bad days and I posted it, I said healing is messy. Allow yourself to have good days and bad. Not everybody can have a good day all the time. Allow yourself the bad days because you have to find a way to come back to yourself again. So people saw on my Instagram and the response was amazing. So many people said, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be messy. Thank you for allowing me to heal. So heal. Tell the people around you, I need time. Tell the people around you, walk with me. Tell the people around you, pray for me. Tell the people around you, take me for therapy. Don't ever keep it to yourself. You're not alone. You're not alone. We all have good days and bad. What you need to do is be kind to yourself as you go between good and bad days. Yeah. All right, very insightful conversation right there with Janet. I mean, I believe you've learned something, especially if you look up to her, you know? But thank you so much, Janet, for talking to us. You inspire most of us and, you know, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for everything you're doing and thank you guys so much. Okay. That's Tante.