A Ugandan woman who is baffled by men’s obsession with nyash asked a pointed question: What is in the female backside that makes men drool over very nyashy women? (If you do not know nyash, it is simply a woman’s well-developed behind.)

The woman was recorded in a video that has been shared widely on social media. She pointed out that what surprises her is that nyash plays no visible role during intercourse. Women, she added, will almost always be lying on their backside (during intercourse), making it hard for men to use it for their sexual gratification.

I do not have to go into details, but it should be noted that not all sex positions require women to lie horozontally on their backs. It is also common knowledge that some men sexually utilise nyash, although in ways other men may disapprove of.

That said, the woman asked a pertinent question. Anyone who has seen how nyashy women appeal to men sexually, especially African men, while women with flat backsides often get ignored, will find themselves asking the same question.

The answer, it seems to me, starts in the man’s brain. If the brain considers nyash to be an integral part of a woman’s  sexual attractiveness, so it will be. The man does not get to decide; the brain pays attention and decides. The brain does not consider the sexual usefulness of nyash. It just acts the way nature programmed it to act.

Men attach importance to nyash in the same way women value men’s height. When women, for example, talk about American weight, they mean men’s height that bears comparison with that of Americans.

Now height does not necessarily make men good. A tall man can be hopeless at relationships when a short one does particularly well. But women do not care about that. They want their men tall. Many use adjectives such as ”tall and handsome” when looking for partners.

In truth, men’s height has more demonstrable value. A tall couple walking hand in hand is likely to get admiring glances while a short one may attract the wrong attention.

Tall men look sharper and elegant in suits. Short men nearly always look like fashion disasters. This is where nyash plays a comparable role for women when it comes to dress. Nyashy women look very attractive not just in jeans but also in dresses.

So the question therefore moves from what do women do with nyash to does nyash enhance attractiveness?

A weekly column about women and men. Views and commentary on everything from love, marriage, sex, money, desire, betrayal and power to all the glorious mess in between. No sides. No sacred cows. Just The Third Chair: unnamed, unaligned and sitting close enough to hear both sides.