Kaka D Iralu
As the battle for the 33% women reservation in the Municipal elections rages on, it would perhaps be good for all of us to ponder on the role of a woman in human society and nations as set forth in the Bible.
1. The word Eve (woman) literally means “Life giver”. There is only one man in the whole of human history that was not born of a woman- He was Adam. Adam was directly created by God himself and was not born of any woman.
2. After Adam, all of mankind (humankind) was born of Eve. Eve literally means “Mother of all living humankind.” (Gen 3:20) A woman is therefore the mother of all humanity and human history. Also, even humanity’s salvation came through the woman. “And I will put enmity between thee and the women, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise they head and thou shall bruise his heal.” (Gen 3:15)
3. God did not create a society or a nation from the beginning. He could have done that but instead, he first created a family. He did this by first creating a man Adam which means “mankind.” Then from the man God created a woman. The man and woman were to become one flesh and from that union, a family was to begin the history of mankind and nations. The family therefore is the foundation of a society or a nation. In this Biblical fundamental truth, the woman in many ways has a more important role than the man in human societies and nations. This is because without the woman the man is incomplete. “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him a helper as his partner.” (Gen.2:18.) Thus, it is the woman who completes the man so that he can be the head of the family. In this mysterious design of God, the Bible says: “Neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man” (1 Cor. 11:9). Also, in as much as the man is the “image bearer and glory of God, so is the woman the glory of man” (1 Cor. 11:7). In this context, the Bible further says: “A good woman is a crown to her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” (Prov. 12:4) As for the virtues of a good wife and mother, the Bible goes on to say: “The heart of the husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil” (Prov. 31:11). Proverbs 31:28 further says: “Her children rise up and call her blessed” Finally, Proverbs 14:1 says: “The wise woman builds her house but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Hence the role that a woman or a mother plays in the life of a society or nation is paramount and indispensable.
4. Besides being an indispensable person to her husband and children, the woman also has a role in providing for the family’s financial needs. Proverbs 31:16 says: “She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hand, she plants a vine yard.” In our modern world where our needs are greater than former times, a woman’s role in providing for her family’s needs is greater. Therefore women going for careers are a justified necessity. But whatever her achievement as a career woman may be, her greatest role in the family is her duty to her husband and to her children. This is because, the mental and spiritual health of a nation lies heavily on a mother’s bosoms and shoulders. That is the way God created the order of a family. In other words, a mother’s love for her children and her husband is the foundational pillar of a nation’s health and well being
5. In physical strength, a woman is weaker than a man. But in mental and spiritual strength, a woman is stronger than a man. (As proven by psychologist, even in torture, a woman can outlast a man in mental and physical breakdown). The fact is therefore: while God has made the man physically stronger, God has made the woman mentally and spiritually stronger because she is the one who must trivial in the birth pangs of bringing new born babies into the world so that the human race can go on.
Conclusion: Indeed the Bible is right when it says that the price of a virtuous woman is far above rubies (Prov 31:10). But the same Bible also says: “The wise woman builds her house but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.”
