Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Is a Man equal to a Woman? Absolutely YES, even the Orthodox Church [the Church of my
Faith] attests. The difference between this understanding and that of today’s Equality
Conception, however, lies in the fact that the contemporary world looks to suggest that “a
WOMAN can [and certainly should]” be a MAN, a concept which is completely contrary to
God’s will. The Church as well as the general society, have since time in memorial held that
‘a man’ is the head of the family. To date, even the majority of the women [especially here in
Africa] subscribe to this attitude; although there are some, to whom this is an ‘insult’. How
then should we address this seemingly challenging paradox?
For purposes of illustration, let us use the human body. The Church completely holds that a
man should be the ‘Head’ of the family. We however acknowledge the importance of all the
other parts of the body. While the Head is the ‘mastermind’ of all the human body, it would
be extra perturbed if the body’s hand, leg or any other part is ‘cut off’ or nonfunctional. In a
quite similar, [though admittedly complex] deduction, the head would surely be useless to the
whole body, if the ‘Neck’ is removed. Thus while a man is held as the ‘head’ a woman is
better-fitting to be held as the Neck. This is not to minimize, degrade, or undermine the
woman, for surely the Neck is absolutely equal to the Head---in importance. A head can
never look where it wants, unless the neck takes it there. If the neck aches, and therefore finds
difficulties in changing direction with ease, so the head shall suffer, while the reverse is true.
The same way, and as many people attest, the man’s public appearance in strength, integrity,
responsibility & general behavior, is usually enough to tell the kind of woman he has at
home. A responsible and development minded woman will as a must nurture her husband in
that direction, while the reverse is true. The above foregoing points to the undoubted fact that
in the absence of his wife, a man is most likely to be nonfunctional; yet in the same way that
a neck will be useless without the head, a woman would require her head [in this case the
husband] to fully perform his role, which is depicted in the masculine purpose. Thus the
TWO ARE SURELY EQUAL. This is absolutely true, for even scripture says, “Let the
husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband,”
1 Cor. 7:3. Indeed if the two are to successfully stay in harmony, each must serve the full
complementary duty to the other.
Scripture is very clear on here, for in Genesis, we learn that Eve was a lovely appointee of
Adam, who named her ‘Woman’ to express it, that she is part of him, and [certainly] non-
existent without him because she was specifically made From him, and for him; to provide
company and help unto him. “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should
be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.” Gen (2:18). “And the rib, which the LORD
God had taken from man….” Gen (2:22). God had all the capacity to create Eve from any
other means / material, but He opted to use Adam’s rib because He wanted that these be ONE
in TWO, and yet TWO in ONE and appreciatively well-positioned; the same way the Neck is
The New Testament simply affirms the above role of a woman. For we see Apostle Paul
reasoning to the Corinthians, “For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man,” 1 Cor. (11:8-9);
while Peter exhorts that, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. “…nor to usurp
authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” 1 Peter
(2:11-13). Majority of our African cultures were naturally aware of this even before reading
the Divine Scriptures. And Apostle Paul helped to clarify that, “The wife hath not power of
her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own
body, but the wife,” 1 Cor. 7:4.
Therefore, Mothers and Sisters should not feel inferior at all, just because the man is being
called the Head. They should instead be proud of themselves, especially when society
appreciates their feminine role. On the other hand, men need to realize that women are part of
them, and in no way inferior as along as they fulfill their feminine role like: The Gracious
endurance of the labor pains and nurturing the offspring instead of aborting & abandoning
them, as well as Ensuring that the Image of their Families is appropriate, because the
ultimate outcome of these, as says Christ Himself in John 16:20, is “…Joy”. In fact, woe unto
him, a man who chooses to neglect his masculine role, because as long as his wife fulfills
hers, she is by all means superior to him, for even Adam had to play a prime role for God to
grant him the authority over the one whom, He had from eternity planned for him (Adam).
Gender equality lies in the degree to which the two parties fulfill their respective roles. Let us
try to carefully filter what our Western brethren introduce to us. We should not say ‘No’ to
all, but it would be good if we only got those values which are relevant and compatible with
our cultures. We should for us understand that a woman, especially here in Africa, has an
inexpressibly big role to play [completely different from that of a European woman], that if
she abandons it just because she wants to be the head as we are observing today, society is at
stake. And this partially explains today’s increasing cases of Child neglect, which has
We should take it upon ourselves to accept that it is most certainly impossible for a woman to
be a man, neither is it necessary at all; and every time it seems like so, many problems follow
than it would have been in normal circumstances.