6th February marks 100 years women got the right to vote. This right was given to women who owned property or women who were married to men who owned property.
The suffragettes fought very hard in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for women rights. A feminist is a person who believes both men and women should have equal opportunities and rights. It can be either a man or a man.
For a couple of weeks, I have been following with keen interest on the Ghanaian social media scene regarding feminism. A point of discussion that caught my eye was a statement made to the effect that if a woman cooks for her husband it makes her a slave. This statement has generated a lot of debate in the Ghanaian social media circle. There have been all sorts of comments for and against this statement.
I am a Christian woman, I do not believe God or the bible is against feminism. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus†(Galatians 3:28)
The issue that is creeping up in our society is radical feminism.
Radical feminists deny there is any difference between men and women, advocating that any perceived differences between the sexes are due solely to social conditioning. Feminism was originally a positive movement, focused on giving women the basic rights God intends for every human being to have. Sadly, feminism now focuses on destroying all distinctions in the roles of men and women.
Making women feel performing certain roles at home diminishes their rights as women and makes them less of a proper woman.
It is sad to see very educated Christian women believe that taking care of your home and family makes you less of a woman. Washing, cooking and looking after the husband, your home and children are not degrading roles. I am not saying the man should not lift a finger or help around the house. In this era most Ghanaian men do help at home
As women, we should be proud of our God-given roles. A classic example is breastfeeding, the bond between a mother and baby during breastfeeding is magical, a dad or father can never experience this! Cooking and doing household chores are roles that can easily be swapped.
My husband enjoys cooking and makes the best salad and noodles, but sometimes I don’t want him to cook because he uses so many pots and pans, this drives me insane! But I love his food and love it when he cooks.
On the other hand, I make the best jollof rice and waakye, therefore I will never ask him to cook those dishes!!
I am not against giving women and men equal rights, but what am against is when some women think they are superior to men and therefore men should do everything they deem fit. If being a feminist means I won’t cook for my husband and children then am sorry I am not a feminist!
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