A Nigerian medical doctor has shared his personal experience to point out the stark difference in the way men address women versus men.
Taking to the microblogging platform X, the man recounted a situation in which he caught himself being rude to a female customer care representative but changed his tone when speaking to a male representative.
He explained that this incident gave him a better understanding of the ‘misogyny’ women often complain about, and he felt ashamed.
He added that even in the hospital, patient’s relatives tend to be rude to female medical officers but are usually polite to male medics.
The X user, with the handle @Okkevwe, further urged people to be more conscious of how they treat women in contrast to their male counterparts.
Read his full post below,
“I remember calling Airtel customer when I first moved back to Nigeria. I was angry and yelling at a female call rep. The call disconnected, and I called back. This time, a man answered. I realised halfway through the conversation that I was now speaking in a calmer tone.
When the call ended, I was in denial. I tried to explain it away. But after days of ruminating, I had to come to terms with it. This is the misogyny that women have been complaining about.
Admitting it was hard because I felt ashamed, but I realised I wasn’t the victim here.Shame and ego will have you trying to deny what’s clear as day. Resist the urge.
At the end of the day, that’s the worst you have to deal with. Compare it to what the people who are actually on the receiving end have to deal with, and you’ll realise how fortunate you are.Even in medicine, this is a thing. Patients and relatives will speak rudely to your female colleague. You show up, and their tone changes. Now, the person who was berating the nurse/female doctor minutes ago is reaching out to shake your hand.
Once you see it, you can’t unsee.”
See below,
