As I see it . . . By Tlali Mapetla
WE live in a world of advanced technology which means our habits and way of life are subject to our modernity.
Even in little conservative Lesotho where sex was never discussed between parent and child, sex is now in our face.
The subject of sex is no longer taboo.
Sex is now a strong currency which is shaping the way we see things.
It is one of the biggest and most powerful emotions simply because of the different forms it can be presented.
From pornography and erotica to suggestive words or songs, sex is able to sell everything because everybody wants it.
This is a dramatic change from the past where we were only told that it was dangerous and was meant for married adults.
However, the HIV epidemic has opened avenues of dialogue about sex and more importantly the consequences of unsafe sex.
And yet sex is so accessible to the youth of Lesotho — even those those below the age of 18.
With social networks like Facebook and advanced cell phones, the world of your average teenager is filled with curiosity and means to explore on issues about sex.
That is to say a 16-year-old girl in Maseru probably has a phone book that would simply shock her parents.
For want of material gratification, clothes, recognition and clubs, it would be naive to claim sex is not involved.
Boys their age obviously do not have the money required to grab the young beauties’ attention.
Naturally much older guys pursue these young girls because of their ignorance and curiosity.
As a result a girl who should be enjoying her mid-teens could be living the life suited to that of one in a tertiary institution.
She is then faced with issues that she is not probably equipped to deal with.
This affects how her character develops and maps out for the rest of her life. This pattern crosses over to the mid-20s right into the 30s and 40s.
However, in today’s modern world, women are no longer the victims of male advances.
Instead, more and more women are being empowered and this has drastically changed the rules of engagement.
What was deemed promiscuous behaviour for a woman is now regarded as part of the sexual liberation ethos.
More and more young women are using sex as a power tool, whether it is to advance their careers or to simply get gratification.
Not only are women now financially independent, but are now aware of their own sexual desires and are going after what they want.
This outlook was expressed by the few young and successful women I spoke to who pointed out the fact that it is now their turn to do things their way, it is no longer a man’s world.
When I posed the question, don’t they think their behaviour could make society label them as whores or easy, the answer I was given was that they are only doing what men have been doing for centuries and society will eventually have to accept it.
With the amount of affairs by celebrities and politicians alike being reported in the media and the likes of Beyonce and Lady Gaga filling our screens with gratuitous images and outfits that leave very little to the imagination, it seems the sexual revolution is only beginning and sex is the new currency with women as the bankers.
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