EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES!

Growing up in what is termed ‘a developing nation’ I saw first-hand how women can be treated as second class citizens.

I wouldn’t say I’m a feminist mostly because the word feminism has often been misunderstood which is not surprising considering that Wikipedia lists at least ten different types of feminism.

I do however believe in equal opportunities for men and women.

Women In Scripture
In the scriptures we see women taking on diverse roles in different walks of life and performing credibly well. Take Esther who was ready to risk her life for what she believed. Deborah a judge of Israel, who, along with the warrior Jael led the Israelites to victory. Dorcas was a humble philanthropist and charity worker. Lois a Godly grandmother along with Eunice a Godly mother brought their children up in the way of the Lord. And there are many other women in the bible that left their mark in the sands of time.
With all these women taking on various roles I believe God trusts the wonderful ladies to take on any role they are up to and doesn’t discriminate on the basis of sex.

21^st Century Women
Fast forward to 2013 and where do women stand in the global scheme of things, where do they stand at national levels and what is their status on the home front?

Sadly it seems that humankind unlike their maker often struggle to allow women to take on roles which in their minds are the preserve of their male counterparts. We deny women opportunities just because they are women and even when we grudgingly allow them to have a go we pay them a lower wage just to remind them that at the end of the day they are ‘only women’.

Sometimes it’s blatantly declared “women’s rights if they exist at all are extremely minimal!” How else can we explain the fact that women are still not licenced to drive cars in Saudi Arabia. On Saturday the 26^th of October 2013 the women of Saudi decided to protest and a few of them who were bold enough put the key into the ignition and moved the car. But big brother was watching and since they couldn’t be sure of having their day in court if big brother didn’t like what he saw they decided to go back to their ‘place’ behind the driver.
A Saudi social activist, Hisham Fageeh, shared his support for the protest using a satirical, a cappella song based on Bob Marley’s hit, No Woman, No Cry, that’s quickly going viral. (Check the video out online just search for “No Woman, No Drive”).

Women Standing Up For Women
Even the UK’s BBC is doing its bit for the female folk and has an initiative called ‘100 Women Season’ which aims to highlight the risks, challenges and opportunities that women face every day, across the globe.
Women like Mrs Cherie Blair and Chelsea Clinton are guest-editing programmes and showing their support for their kinswomen.
Mrs Blair has spoken about how she was treated as an unequal when she started out as a young lawyer in a male dominated firm especially when she decided to add to her role as a lawyer the God given role of a mother.

One thing that Cherie Blair said that definitely rang true in my ears was the need for women to do all that was in their ability to financially empower themselves.

It’s Not a War
I do not believe that women need to fight the men folk, I don’t believe in the ‘battle of the sexes’, we are not at war. I don’t particularly believe women have any point to prove, whoever cannot see the worth of women probably needs some eye salve, maybe they should visit SpecSavers or some other optician. I do however firmly believe in equal opportunities for women. I believe a woman’s ‘place’ is wherever she chooses to put herself and not where some male chauvinist thinks she should be.

Men and women are not in competition, we complement each other and truth be told we can’t live without each other. We have different roles in society which we need to fulfil and we need to fulfil these roles whilst having utmost regard for each other.

Women need to be empowered, empowered financially to enable them to fulfil their potential and contribute all that the Lord has for them to contribute to make our world a better place.

Let’s look around us; in most places where women are seen but not heard that society tends to be seen but no progression seems to be heard of from them, I’m just thinking aloud here…
But it seems to make sense doesn’t it, whether we like it or not women tend to play a greater role in the development of the next generation. And if these same women are put down and oppressed what type of society do we expect?

In Genesis chapter two God gave Eve to Adam to be a companion to him, not as a second rate citizen.

What Am I Trying To Say?
So what am I about?
I’m about freedom for women to live their lives the way they desire
Freedom for women to have opportunities and to embrace them
Freedom for women to aspire
Freedom for women to achieve their full potential
Freedom for women to have financial independence if they desire it
Freedom for women to be ‘stay-at-home mums’ if they wish
Freedom for women to break the glass ceilings and rise to the top of the ‘ladders’
Freedom for women to get behind the wheel and drive cars, planes and rockets!
Freedom for women to be whoever and whatever they want to be!

God didn’t put women down, neither should we!

 

What are your views?

LolaA thinking aloud…