As the annual international celebration of women continues during this month, one hears frequent reference of the need to empower women. But one cannot help but wondering why this is being emphasized. The fact is women were born empowered. Only they have the biological ability to give birth to children. Moreover, from the creation of the first woman, Eve, women are empowered to manipulate men.
Maybe because it was the woman Eve, who led the first man, Adam, to eat the forbidden fruit, and commit the first sin, that men over the ages have been trying to dis-empower women. This is therefore the challenge that women face, because they must not be dis-empowered.
There isn’t any scientific or religious explanation that indicate that men were designated to be rulers of the various countries that make up the world, or that women should be confined to caregivers of their homes and families.
Original translations of the scriptures, according to theologians featured in a recently aired documentary, did not exhort women should be submissive to men, including their husbands. Rather the ancient scriptures hailed women like Sarah, the Queen of Sheba, Ruth, Esther, the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene, all empowered in their own right.
However, somehow, modern versions of Scripture exhort women to be the submissive gender in their society.
Middle Eastern women
This submission of women is more apparent in Middle Eastern societies where women, according to the culture and religion of those societies, are only allowed to wear clothing that cover their entire body except for their eyes. It’s only very recently that women in countries like Saudi Arabia dare to display they are empowered in areas dominated by men.
Covert barriers to women in Western world
In the western world, even without overt structured social barriers to prevent women from exercising their empowered rights, there are nonetheless covert barriers women have to overcome if they want to have similar rights as men.
In America, after some 242 years of Independence, there is yet to be a woman president or Vice President. Women are overwhelmingly outnumbered in the chambers of the US Congress. This is mind-boggling, as data persistently points to the fact that women attain higher academic standards than men at the college level, assuming a college education is a prerequisite of political leadership. Fortunately, there have been women in the US, including Caribbean American women like the late Shirley Chisholm, California’s Kamala Harris, Mia Love from Utah, and Yvette Clarke from New York who were fearless in their quest to be serve in the US Congress.
An encouraging sign
There’s encouraging sign this mid-term election year, more women, Democrats and Republicans, will be contesting congressional elections, than in previous years. As women become more emboldened to rightfully share local and national leadership with their male counterpart there’s real possibility the 2019 Congress will have more women seated.
Empowered Caribbean women
In the Caribbean, bold, determined woman like Dominica’s Dame Eugenia Charles; Trinidad and Tobago’s Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Jamaica’s Portia Simpson Miller. succeeded in breaking the strangle hold men had on leading Caribbean countries and prevailed as capable prime ministers.
Outside the realm of politics, there are signs of more women assuming leadership positions, excelling in areas where men once dominated. It’ rather patronizing when women make these much too rare breakthrough they are hailed as “the first woman” to do so. There is no reason why women shouldn’t be making these breakthroughs because they were born empowered to be the equal of men.
Me Too movement unwelcomed
The recent women “Me Too” movement has not been welcomed by some men, primarily because the movement calls out men who used their power and influence to abuse women sexually. But, secure, decent men, should recognize the movement is more than targeting men who took advantage of women sexually, but is building into a movement encouraging more women to assume leadership roles.
Here in South Florida, the “Never Again” movement that sprouted in the aftermath of the Marjory Stone Douglas High School tragedy in Parkland, was to a large extent sparked by an empowered young woman, Emma Gonzalez, motivating Americans to fight for gun control, as anything else was “BS.”
And, Black America can never lose sight of the fact it was an empowered black woman, Rosa Parkes, that boldly inflamed the Civil Rights Movement by refusing to yield her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus.
Any message during this Women History Month urging women to be empowered is redundant. Women are an empowered gender, who have been covertly and overtly denied their rightful places in various aspects of society. But, gradually, women are breaking down doors and glass ceilings. There’s reason to believe societies will function better with more women sharing power with men and participating in various decision-making processes.
Hail to women everywhere this Women History Month.
