International Women’s Day
Lawrence Temfwe February 26th, 2007
In 1975, during International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8th as International Women’s Day. The theme for this year is Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women and Girls. On this day, many organizations throughout the world that are concerned with the plight of women will use this platform to inform the public and lobby governments on issues that affect the dignity of women and girls. However, several secular movements that claim to be concerned with women rights are detrimental to the cause because their efforts normally don’t take into account natural gender distinctions. As a result, motherhood, the one calling that is uniquely and exclusively feminine is being looked down on by people who have no regard for family and household.
The whole message of the equality of sex has been pushed to unprecedented proportions as if there is no difference between men and women. However, there something astounding about women! In Proverb 31:10-13
we see Scripture encouraging women to seek honor in a uniquely feminine way. The Bible affirms the female intellect, uplifts the talents and abilities of women and encourages the right use of women spiritual gifts. Whenever the Bible expressly talks about the marks of an excellent woman, the stress is always on virtue. Women in the Bible who were commended for their influence had character. The emphasis in the Bible is not ‘gender equality’; it’s about true feminine excellence. And this is always demonstrated in moral and spiritual qualities rather than riches, societal standing or outward beauty.
Many Christians of evangelical persuasion rarely celebrate this event because they see it as being for feminist movements whose agenda are reproductive rights; lesbianism; and access to contraception. It is the lack of Christian presence at such gathering which has led to the devaluation of issues for discussion.
We need a Christian agenda in these gathering. We need strong laws recognizing the property rights of women. We need new legislation that ensures marriage is legally seen as partnership, rather than a virtual state of servitude for the wife. In the advent of HIV/AIDS, husbands who have extra marital affairs should not be accepted as part of the Zambian society and the practice of polygamy should not be honored. We need fast track courts that will deal with child defilement cases swiftly and we need stiffer penalties for offenders. Unless Christians begin to provide leadership in women issues, the status of women will continue to be devalued.
