Women as a group represent a grossly marginalized group who are not even conscious of their plight. Even where and when they are conscious it plays only on their lips in form of verbal protest as they are also helpless in realising their dreams and aspirations through any meaningful action. It is already sunk and fixated in their consciousness that they are already an endangered species who cannot be helped beyond the point that the society has placed them.
Yes, the society has not helped the women even when they are critical members of the same society without which many things cannot function well. The culture and religions of the society they belong by virtue of some of their views on women may have unconsciously lowered their values and importance in the estimation of other members of the society.
The perception is that women are fragile, sensitive, weak, and negative, limited, evil etc and so confinable to certain activities. In reality they have been restrained from or are restricted to some roles that they can comfortably play. Before the world never heard of a woman president and even now they can be counted on the fingers.
Some of these views, the women have proved time and again that they are wrongly conceived even though they brought it upon themselves not challenging the wrong opinions held of them. My observation is that in the weaknesses men see in women there lay their strength. My observations also reveal that beliefs which subdue and limit women are transmitted from generation to generation by the women themselves.
Do we still remember how mothers get so protective and caution their girls not to compete with men in certain things? They will quickly remind you ‘don’t you know that he is a man even as they narrate more of all the do’s don’ts for a woman.”
The limitation of women is further espoused through the limited exposure to some activities right from cradle at the home base even before they step out to confront the larger world. In doing domestic chores some parents while sharing activities amongst their children will restrict women from such things as washing vehicles, etc and the consciousness become gradually ingrained in them that they are weaker sex and who should not be allowed to think even for themselves. Religion and culture remain the worst of tools used in doing this damage.
The biblical injunction that a woman should be subject to the man is so engrossed in their consciousness that even the talents embedded in them are not exploited because they have been sold to the questionable reality that they cannot do better than men. Consequently, majority of them shy away from trying. Recently women are breaking away from the shackles of some of these long held beliefs that have held them down. We are now seeing women doing more of the men’s jobs contrary to what happened in the past. Women now drive commercial vehicles; do masonry jobs, mechanic jobs.
News Echo wishes to use the occasion of the celebration of mothers’ Sunday to enjoin them to reflect on the critical roles they occupy in the society. Without women life is not complete. While we commend women that have lived exemplary lives we urge those that bring bad image to womanhood to have a change of heart.
