The Bible was detailed enough to specifically tell us that Deborah was a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, and a judge of Israel. That was a woman with several roles and responsibilities in the society. She was never lacking as a wife or a leader of a mighty nation like Israel. This shows that there’s no limit to what we can do or become as a woman. She was never intimidated by the many men that were around her, instead they answered to her and heeded to her instructions. Deborah was such an influential and powerful woman that even Barak the army commander could not go to fight without her presence. (Judges 4).
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is Break the Bias. This is timely as some women continue to face biases even though there are more advocacies now than in the past. But over the years, women have shown resilience, strength, innovation, and power in various fields. When we say fields, people tend to think of the business or academic world only. The home front is a large field where we can confidently say that women are key players. Remember, family is the basic unit of the society. If we are not building strong families, then we’ll find it difficult to build strong societies. So kudos to the builders – the wise women.
How can we break the bias against women? A lot has been said over the years, conferences and programs have been held, and the conversation is ongoing on breaking the bias. For me, three things come to mind:
- Every woman must break her own personal biases. I have seen women who feel less of themselves and think they can never amount to anything in life or attain a certain height. They are comfortable in their low states and don’t even want to dream big. This is due to the lies that have been sold to them in the past about the position of women in the society and that they only end up in the kitchen. We are responsible for our own thoughts and actions. Therefore, we must renew our minds with what God says about us and break off that bias.
- We have the responsibility of putting our selves out there and making positive impacts on people around. No one will do this for us. In our work places, schools, communities, we must not fold our arms and wait for manner to fall. If the opportunity isn’t coming yet, we must create the opportunity. When one woman does this, it not only lifts her, but it strengthen other women and lifts them too.
- Lastly, we must continue the conversation. In our little communities, online and offline, let’s break the bias!
Spread the word
