JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="http://cdn.kendostatic.com/2012.2.710/js/kendo.all.min.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn.kendostatic.com/2012.2.710/styles/kendo.common.min.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn.kendostatic.com/2012.2.710/styles/kendo.default.min.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn.kendostatic.com/2012.2.710/styles/kendo.mobile.all.min.css">
<select id="gender" required data-role="dropdownlist"
 data-text-field="text" data-value-field="code" data-bind="source: genders, value: gender, attr: {validationMessage: required}"}>
</select><br />
<span class="k-invalid-msg" data-for="gender"></span>

JavaScript

var validator = $("#example").kendoValidator().data("kendoValidator");

var viewModel = kendo.observable({
    gender: "",
    required: "This field is required",
    genders:[{ code: "" , text: "Select an option"} , {code: "m", text: "Male"}, {code: "f", text: "Female"}]
});

kendo.bind($("#gender"), viewModel);