Honouring women

One of the issues receiving much attention  in the media and the press in India now, is how to regard and relate to women better.

Women are a link between humans because they are potential mothers. A women's roles as wife, mother, grandmother, and the matriarch in  a home  contribute to the stability of a home. A woman is also virtuous in temperament usually, as she is a self giving person by her acts of caring, providing for the household by house keeping and nurturing  children. In fact her own commitment to carry a baby during pregnancy and nurture the baby by breast feeding is a solemn expression of her benevolent nature. A woman adjusts and accommodates to different circumstances with fortitude and grace at home, work place and in society. All women are worthy of honour.

How are we to honour women!    

Jesus of nazareth honured women in many ways. One example was by receiving the hospitality of Martha and Mary and helping them to diffuse the  complaining spirit of Martha by drawing her attention to accept the choice Mary made. Jesus had many women followers, whose ministry of giving and serving Jesus accepted graciously in a male dominated jewish society. Jesus valued women by healing them, talking to them, rescuing them from being victims of the harshness of the 'law'. He projected their worth and virtue.

Let me suggest that we can honour women in different ways. The way we look at them ought to convey our appreciation of their worth and affirmation of their safety and security in our presence. This means that we will not stair at different parts of their body and intimidate them. Their beauty is more internal and external. Therefore looking at their body sensually or seductively is lust, which already is murder, according to the sayings of Jesus of Nazareth.  

All women are equal to men in all aspects. Therefore our girl foetuses, girl children, adolescent girls and adult women are equal in rights, status and opportunities. This is the minimum any civilized civil society can offer to them. When this is denied to them, men ought to consciously facilitate to restore this. 

Women need honour in marital relationship. A husband is called to love his wife self-givingly, according to the teachings of St. Paul. Women in turn respond to this love by giving herself fully to her husband. When both of these happen, they are on a journey to 'become one flesh'. This is a necessary way of honouring women. 

Men ought to be providers and protectors for all women. Let every man be found trustworthy by all women. Let women feel comfortable and peaceful about their modesty because they are safe at all times and at all places because men are their well wishers.

Let the cinema, advertisements, theatre, stories, novels, poetry, music, dance portray women as beautiful beings worthy of respect, and not exposing their bodies to arouse sensual passions. I wish women will be equally responsible in the way they dress to adorn their body and not sensualise their body!

We need to honour women by being deliberately engaged in educating boys and girls of their sacred individual identities to prepare them for an edifying relationships between them. This alone can dispel the current trend of an exploitative attitude men convey toward women.

'Honour women' and that is the means for envisioning a healthy society.

M.C.Mahtew (text and photo)