On this ANZAC day, as I honour my grandfather and those who sacrificed to make the Australia that we all enjoy today, it strikes me that the successes of our country are a result of men and women working together in unity rather than in opposition. As men were called out to war, women stepped up to fill the many roles that were left vacant, meeting needs as they were required, and working to keep the machine of society running in synchronicity.
It seems that, over the years, times have certainly changed for the better for women in Australia. Despite the outcry from feminists claiming inequality, women in Western society are now generally respected on an equal platform as men. However, not so for the millions of oppressed women and girls ignored by feminists in non-western countries and cultures.
Here in Western society we are: free to vote; free to be educated at whatever level we choose; free to take professional career positions; and free to speak in public places. We are also free to be homemakers, mothers, carers and part-time or full-time workers. We have many equal choices. Feminism began as a movement to liberate women from sex discrimination and this was largely achieved in the 1980’s (I am not speaking here of the horror of criminal sexual trafficking into Australia).
The swinging pendulum
Now we find that the pendulum has swung, and we face the predicament where die-hard feminists would like all women to be working full time in the work-force. According to this group, it would be ideal for women to over-take all paid roles occupied by men to remove the patriarchy and insert a matriarchy.
In her quarterly essay, Love and Money, Anne Manne sums up feminist, Linda Hirshman’s views like this: ‘Women must not marry for love. They must drive a hard bargain on housework, getting the upper hand by training up and marrying down (to lower status men who have flexible work lives and can therefore take the mummy track themselves). Women must pursue self-interest at every point.’
When once a woman was made to feel guilty for going to work and not staying home with her children, it now seems that women who choose to stay home to raise her children, are the ones who are attacked, and this attack is not coming from men. This attack seems to be coming from other women, or more directly—progressive feminism. Their goal is for women not to be constrained by female biology which obstructs them from obtaining power, money, status and employment opportunities that men might otherwise occupy.
Who do we think we are?
This to me, does not sound like equality. The de-masculinisation of our men—our fathers, our husbands, brothers and sons—is becoming a silent epidemic and as a wife, daughter, sister and mother, this grieves me. With job advertising prioritising gender balance above best candidate, this is concerning, and we are entering dangerous waters.
If feminists get their way, and all women work full-time, the question is raised—where are the mothers, the home-makers, and who will raise the children? While feminists force the government to provide high quality early child-care in order to get new mums back to work, studies show that children do best when they spend the first year bonding to their mother.
I’m not saying women shouldn’t work—of course they should, and they do. Whether they work in the home or out of the home, paid or un-paid, women are always working. But to be forced into full time work for the sole reason to over-take men in the workforce—as feminists would like it—not only takes away the value of men in society, but also takes away a woman’s right to choose to be a home-maker.
Should then, our children be the ones who suffer for our insane desire to compete against the sexes? Definitely not.
Sober judgment
So what should our attitude as Christians be? Romans chapter 12 verses 3-8 sums up the unique value of each one of us beautifully:
‘For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
'For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
'We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
'If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.’
The golden rule
This is a universal principle. It should apply regardless of whether you’re male or female, working together to form one body. Therefore, we need to stop bickering. Women need men and men need women, and children need both. We need to stop asserting one group as being more valuable than another. We need to realise that both sexes are complimentary of each other and that together we make the world go around—not separately. We need to love one another as Christ has loved us, and do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
Yes it’s true that historically men have treated women badly, but the future requires us to work together as a unit—a family unit. All women are not out to undermine, replace or fight to oppress men so that women can reign. At the risk of not getting an invitation to the next women’s march, this woman wants to declare that “feminism does not speak on behalf of me”.
‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.’
—Romans chapter 12 verse10.
Rebecca and her husband, have four children and live on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Rebecca writes for various publications including print, online and commercial. She has recently published her first book titled ‘First to Forty’ which is available on Amazon and Kindle. For more information: http://www.rebeccamoore.life
Rebecca Moore's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/rebecca-moore.html
Rebecca and her husband have four children and live on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Rebecca writes for various publications including print, online and commercial. She is the author of two books: ‘First to Forty’ and ‘Pizza and Choir’. For more information you can find Rebecca at: http://www.rebeccamoore.life, Facebook: Rebecca Moore - Author, Instagram: rebeccamoore_author
Rebecca Moore's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/rebecca-moore.html
