Dr Aola Imcha
I believe that almost all societies, in general are both matriarchal and patriarchal. Roles of Men and Women provide unique benefits and limitations on each gender. Both men and women may be seen to be privileged and disadvantaged, each in many different ways. The issues of women being inferior or the complexity of superiority does not arise at all because every individual is equal in every sense of the word.
Every individual is responsible for making a society, no matter which gender you belong to or whether you have more grey or white matter in your head. Every one is equal in terms of everything, socially, politically, personally etc so that gender based complexity does not arise at all.
I often see women fighting for their equality with men but, I say, what is there to raise the issue in the first place? Aren’t we are in bar with every individual in the society. Where do the issues of non equality arise from?
I understand that Women’s liberation does not mean merely seeking equality within a masculine world, but liberating the divine feminine aspects of a woman’s personality and using them for the benefit of humankind.
Now, let’s not confuse equal opportunity with equality though. Most people would agree that all people, no matter what gender, race or age, should be given the same opportunities to live a good life. No questions about that part.
The question here is not for men and women to try to be alike. All men and women must be ‘themselves’, realizing that everyone has been bestowed with unique abilities with which to pursue goals, and that our primary responsibility is to take full advantage of those abilities.
What we have to keep in mind is that men and women are different in terms of almost everything. Women often think in terms of emotional closeness and support, they often struggle to preserve intimacy. Men, on the other hand are more concerned with status, tend to focus more on independence. Men are physically stronger. By nature, they are usually more aggressive and externally oriented. In contrast, a woman usually embodies the ideal of inner dignity. The nature of a woman, while subtle, is not weak. And the nature of a man, while aggressive, is not brutish.
These traits as small or large as it can be, can lead women and men to starkly different views of the same situation. Imagine if men and women have similarity in thoughts, ideas and ambition what a stagnant world we would be in today.
To understand better the essential nature of man and woman, we must do away with human subjectivity and look through God’s eyes. Every human being, man and woman, was created for the same purpose to blend body and soul in order to make themselves and their world a better place. In their service of God, there is absolutely no difference between a man and a woman; the only difference is in the way that service manifests itself.
Learning each other’s ways of talking is a leap across the communication gap between men and women, and a giant step towards genuine understanding. In other words, learning to compliment each other in the areas we lack is the way to go.
None shows superiority, but does show that we are made differently, with different needs, and different ideas. Why do we then compare for superiority, or even expect the other to be just like us? As an individual you should keep in mind that you have an equal right to everything as to every other person next to you. You would never feel inferior unless and until you let yourself feel it within you.
Marlo Thomas once said “One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man.