The Leadership Of Women......

Women have played a lot of important roles in the society. In fact without women, the society will not be a better place to live in. Women play a variety of significant roles in our society from their birth till the end of life. Women or mothers in nature are seen by most people as being soft hearted, caring and kind in all aspects. Traditionally, the role of women included being a housewife, whose occupation is running or managing her family's home, caring for her children; buying, cooking, and storing food for the family; buying goods that the family needs in everyday life; housekeeping and maintaining the home; and making clothes for the family. Where does this idea of women role as just a housewife or related to doing works that are basically for the home keeping comes from?

However, In my view, limiting the role of women literally to being a housewife will not help us because looking at the population of the world today, men alone cannot work to feed the world, unless women also help in. In an effort to give way for women to also work as men do, should there be a matter of a gender role?, which is how roles or desired behaviors and attitudes are categorized based on male or female. But once again i ask myself whether there is the need for gender role in the society when it comes to work? And if there is the need, it means that certain works will be limited to women and likewise the same thing to men also. Is gender role determined by God, culture, society or man? In an attempt to analyze the issues of gender role in the society, let’s look at religion first. I think most of the religions in the world have spelt out the role of men and women especially when it comes to leadership.

God is considered as the highest authority and men derive their authoritative roles from God. When we look at religion, which in a way comes from God or gods has in simple terms sidelined women from leadership because according to scriptures, prophets at that time were the leaders of their people and they were followed by their subordinates, but I think no religion from the beginning till now had or has a woman as a prophet, and this suggest that the leadership of women is silenced by religion, and I am in no position to decide whether it is right or wrong for a religion to silence the leadership of women. Even if this is questionable, but not by me.

Again when it comes to culture which goes with the society, in most traditional cultures, women are regarded as subordinates and seen as people for the kitchen and mothers that are obsessed with being obedient to husbands. Cultural roles such as chieftaincy, chief elders, clan heads and messengers are usually positions regarded as manly and purposely for men only, and in view of culture some certain characteristics which often considered to be attributes of leaders clearly favors only men, strength, assertiveness, warriors like features, and even deep voices, are attributes that both men and women tend to view as more leaders like in the society. Please my dear women take note about all these feminism and women empowerment programs, some are definitely helpful while others are in to destroy your marriage and relationships, In simple truth, no man wants to be controlled by a woman naturally. In our today’s society religion and culture are the two most important practices that shape and guard our thinking in all decisions we make. In the view of religion and culture, we realize that the leadership of women is not intrinsic and since most of our decisions are shaped by religion and culture, we tend to see the leadership of women as something not acceptable in society. But In recent times we see and hear everywhere people preaching about gender equality, which is equal rights and opportunities for both men women, and I think that is one of greatest change that is happening in the world now.

The reason why people are now agitating for this change is that, women and others have seen that the society, culture and religion has been unfair to them, so they want to change this unfairness. Yes it is good for one to stand up and fight against what seems not to be fair to him or her. Changing the society and culture has no issues because as modernization steps in, there's a need to make changes on the society and culture, but when it comes to religion whether modernization or not we don't need to make changes on it because in attempt to make changes to it, will definitely deviate from the rightful ways that was set by God for us. Every change in the society seems difficult anyway, so my dear women I am not encouraging you people neither am i discouraging you, I am only expressing my views on the change of gender role that is now the order of the day........

Please my dear women don't be deceived by all these feminism and women empowerment programs, no man wants to be controlled by a woman naturally........

Suntaa Abudu Ibrahim.
Social Commentator.