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)

Three purposeful Women

This is an artist's portrayal of three women who set out to visit the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth on the first day of the week, the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus. Considering the perplexed face in this painting, it is likely that this meeting of the three women would in all probability have been prior to their visit to the tomb in the early morning. This narration is found in the first ten verses of Luke:24. 

The painter gives away some insights about this woman in this piece of art. They are on their own, outside a building, in the field, being with each other in a state of suspense, anxiety and appears sorrowful. Two of them wear light coloured dress with a bright scarf covering their head. Going by their dress, they were expectant and hopeful of the resurrection as Jesus o the third day.  The third woman wearing a dark dress, and grey scarf was perhaps still in a mourning spirit. 

What made me drawn towards this picture is the pursuit of these three women. They were searching for Jesus. This common interest brought them together. Two appeared searching for the risen Jesus and the other woman for Jesus in the tomb to offer spices as an act of her worship and adoration of Jesus. 

This is the reality even today. Some live with hope and anticipation when everything around is contrary to it. Such a hope comes from belief and trust. To trust is most demanding. To give up is natural and common. Those who are habituated to trust are the means for change. We live among people who have no reason or inspiration to trust. And yet, we can only be companions to them accommodating and befriending them as the two women did to their friend. 

In verse 10 of Luke.24, the the gospel writer names these women as Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, mother of James. They were the ones who returned to the 11 disciples of Jesus to tell them about the resurrection of Jesus, after the two angels appeared to the three women at the open grave and announced the resurrection of Jesus.  

The eleven disciples remained huddled together in a room in fear or anxiety and the three women risked to go the tomb. They became good news bearers.

The artist pays tribute to the three women, who became messengers of resurrection! They had purposed in their hearts to be forerunners of a mission- encourage who were in despair.

There are more women than men in the  counselling profession, teaching, nursing, social work, etc. Let me commend women for leading the way by serving and bringing hope in difficult situations. They did two thousand years ago and they continue the same even today! Women lead by their example.

M.C. Mathew(text and photo)

Carrying just enough

This is a  sight I watched at Lamptaput, Orissa during one of  my visits. Woman would return home after their work in the field, having bathed in the stream, with a head load carrying a bucket of water and wood and sometimes another bag hanging with provisions from the other hand.  

I have followed some of them for a short distance to see if they would drop water from the bucket they carry on the head. They do not. Obviously, they have perfected the art of balancing. These women do it daily and with great ease. Often the walk can be for about forty five minutes. None of the younger woman, I observed seemed to do this way. They carried either a head load or a hand load.

I recall this to draw an insight for myself at this time, when I too have to hold many things together at this time of relocation. There is a balance or state of stability, each of us has to find sooner than later. This needs willingness, openness, and effort, all of which takes time and attention. 

Let me suggest that, we need to unload, if the pressure is palpable, to begin on a journey to find a state of well being. There is a natural obsession to do more and more. This suggests a greed for doing more of the same, in the hope that there will be more gains from more work.  

Instead, there is a state of well being only if we have a blend of experiences, not too much or too less of anything. The lady in the picture knows the right proportion of weight she has to distribute between her head and hand from her experience. This is the key: can we work without generating stress from the work we do! 

A woman shows the way! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Empowered women

These are women returning after a day’s work offered through the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. About 50 percent of those who seek employment through this scheme are women. 

One woman who finds about three or four days of work in a  week through this scheme, mentioned to me that this has empowered woman. Many woman are from broken homes, widows or subject to harassment by their spouses.This income helps them to get medical attention on time and to have access to food. Not that they would go hungry without this income, but it has given them dignity and independence. 

Most of those accessing the benefits of this scheme are elderly woman for whom a regular work in the farm or as domestic helpers can be demanding. 

A  society that has incorporated a welfare scheme for its women folks is to be complemented for its  enlightenment. It is not charity that they seek for but an entitlement to live comfortably when they are less able. 

This is one example of a 'trickling down' effect of liberalization of the economy, where we create more financial resources from which we can apportion larger amounts for welfare measures.  There are lot of deficiencies in our delivery of  distributive justice, but there are signs of hope.

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)