The two previous articles on women’s empowerment focused first on a brief discussion of the struggle’s context as well as the economic aspect. In this third article, I intend to push our reflection further by questioning the Christian perception of women’s emancipation. How do Christian women approach their emancipation and what does this imply in their daily life?
To me, the biblical description of what a virtuous woman helps us understand the concept of emancipation according to the Christian faith. Proverbs 31: 10-31 describes the virtuous woman as the woman who gets up early and takes care of her house, the one who works with willing hands to feed herself and her family, she purchases land, she is a business woman and her merchandise is profitable.
This passage also describes a woman with ambition and projects, one who obtains a field and who works the land to provide for herself and her family, a wise woman who has the confidence of her husband and constantly receives praise from him for her courage, determination, strength, generosity, patience and more. In other words, this passage clearly states that the emancipation of women of faith can only be beneficial for men of faith and for society in general.
Although there is no consensus on the Christian conception of gender equality, we can find the notion of equality between men and women in the bible. Especially in Galatians 3:28 where it is written that “There is no longer either Jew or Greek, there is no longer neither slave nor free, there is no longer either man or woman; for all of you are one in Jesus Christ”. Through this verse, we can safely claim that men and women are equal in Christ and that there is no gender-based differential treatment before God.
It follows that the Bible also speaks of the roles and responsibilities of men and women. These responsibilities, in my view, do not question the pre-established equality between the two sexes. What it does instead is to regulate relationships between men and women in order to avoid disorder and to establish a harmonious life in the family and in society.
Ephesians 5: 22-33 illustrates well these different responsibilities by specifying the place of man and woman in marriage. In these verses, the scriptures are addressed to the man as being the head of the family and to the woman as owing respect and submission to the man (husband). It is also about a man loving his wife and caring for him as Christ loves and cares for his church.
This sexual division of responsibilities does not, in our view, call into question the need and the desire for emancipation expressed by many Christian and non-Christian women around the world. It is also worth noting that these biblical truths, essentially, provide for the private lives of believers. Thus, a woman who occupies a higher position than that of her husband in the public sphere does not, in any way, cancel her responsibilities toward her husband once she gets at home.
The expression “emancipation of women” according to Larousse would designate: “the act of freeing oneself from a bond, from an obstacle, from a state of dependence, from domination, from prejudice”. Is it, therefore, legitimate for a Christian woman to approach her emancipation in these aspects?
Does the bible preach the domination of man over woman, the subordination of woman or her subjection to man? In other words, is the biblical conception of social relations between the sexes strictly illustrated by a power relation between dominant (men) and dominated (women)? In my view, there is no concrete answer to these questions and that is why reflections such as these are necessary in order to understand women’s emancipation in the Christian tradition.
Here it is important to recall that the concept of subordination alludes to a state of dependence of a person vis-à-vis another and that the term “submission” describes “the fact of putting oneself under the power of an authority”. Accordingly, it can be said that the Christian woman is called to live under the authority of her husband (the man), respecting and obeying him just as both, the man and the woman, are subjected to divine authority.
I must clarify here that the Christian woman should not free herself from the authority of her husband but rather from preconceived ideas about gender and what a woman should be or what a woman should do or not do.
The emancipation of the Christian woman seeks the improvement of her living conditions, the recognition of her legal rights in the same way as those of men.
In a text published by CBE international entitled: “In the Bible, man and woman have the same status” illustrates the concept of equality between men and women in the creation story. According to the author, “ the creation of women is referred to as the man’s kenegedô, which literally means “a force which corresponds to him.””
As I approach the end of my reflection in this article, I cannot do so without quoting extraordinary women from the bible who were agents of change in their society.
- First take, for instance, Deborah found in Judges 4: 4-5 who was the only female judge of Israel at the time and a prophet who was admired for her courage;
- Second, Ruth, who was a widow recognized as a woman with great values. She also marked her era with her determination and the sacrifices she made to enter into the perfect plan that God had for her life; (book of Ruth)
- Third but not least, Queen Esther, who was as courageous as women can be. She managed to advocate on behalf of the voiceless by saving the Jewish people who were threatened with death. (Esther, chap. 4 and 5).
To sum up, it can be said that the emancipation of Christian women aims at creating an environment in which women can flourish. To do so the improvement of their living conditions and the social recognition of women’s capacities and competences in the service of her family and her community is necessary.
By Fariji Niyo
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