Firstly lets define feminism
Seeing as this is women`s month, it seemed fitting to talk about an idea that most women in Africa, and around the world, hold dear. Feminism. The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives two distinct definitions of feminism. Firstly it defines it as a theory of economic, political and social equality of the sexes, then secondly; as an organized activity on behalf of women`s rights and interests.
The two definitions, though explaining the same thing, are immensely different. The first one shows no discrimination by saying the fight is for the equality of both sexes, meaning that it is not only about the interest of women but of both genders. This is contrary to the second one, which primarily states that the efforts are chiefly to promote the rights and interest of women. Now the question becomes, where does the Christian stand between the two definitions? Should they even align themselves with the feminist movement?
The Good, the bad and the confusing
Feminism in Africa has achieved a lot of good things. It advocated for the education of women, the fair treatment of women in work places and also for the abolition things such as child marriages and abuse. Many laws have been passed over the years that now protect the rights of women in various spheres of society but, as it appears, some of them have not been to promote equality.
For example in the Zimbabwean educational system, the qualification requirements of girls are usually lower than those of boys. A girl with 13 A level points can get a place for a program that requires a boy to have 15 points. Rape against women is given priority and stiffer sentences are laid out for it than for rape against men. Positions are being reserved for women, and not for men, in the name of gender inclusion.
There are many other such examples where the feminist has promoted the interests of the woman and neglected the man, which is not at all what advocacy for equality looks like. In practice, it seems that feminism favors the second definition more, and the focus is on elevating women even at the expense of men. Even the term, Feminism in itself shows bias. The root of the word is derived from the word female. If the idea was to promote equality for all genders then why the focus on women? Why not call it something inclusive of both genders?
What does the bible say?
Feminism appears to only want a reversal of the situation, where women become more privileged than men, not equality. In speech, the feminist says we promote equality but, in action they promote the interest of women exclusively. This is not the way the bible instructs the Christian to live. It says that we must actually do the opposite of what feministic, or even patriarchal movements, are advocating for. It tells the Christian to consider others more important than themselves (Philippians chapter 2: 1-5).
Some feminists have argued that the Christian doctrine favors men more than women. They claim that men,in the bible, are given more privilege than women but this far from the truth. Christ describes his people as a body and in that we have different roles to play with every part being equally important, seeing as a body can only function in unity, 1 Corinthians 12: 12; 27. So in the way that the hand cannot claim to be more important than leg, neither gender can say either is more important than the other.
Paul in Galatians 3: 28 nails it and says “…., there is no male and female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus”. Therefore as Christians if we advocate or fight for anything, there is no male or female, we stand for all as one. The Bible makes it clear here that, as man and women, if we march against each other we march against ourselves and a house divided cannot stand, so a feminism that marches for women and not eqaulity has no place in the kingdom and agenda of God.
