Let Women Shine!

August is Women’s Month in South Africa, a time when we focus on women and the role they play in our country. August showcases women who have been successful and who can serve as role models for other women. Sadly, it also highlights the many challenges faced by women, such as economic inequality, domestic violence as well as sexual and other abuse and exploitation.

The role models girls and women are exposed to today are mostly related to fashion and show business. These models appeal to appearance and to popularity in the world of entertainment and rarely as models of Christian womanhood.

The Proverbs 31 Woman

In Proverbs 31 we read of the ideal woman. This noble woman makes all her children’s clothes by hand; she gets up in the early hours of the morning to bake bread and cook food; she is a hardworking and successful businesswoman, not to mention all the good work she does in her community.

There are very few women who reckon that they can live up to this impressive list of accomplishments. Rather, their children on many days eat instant noodles for supper and sometimes go to bed with dirty feet. Many women cannot bake a cake that is presentable for the school sale, and community involvement with what time?

Do women have to feel bad or guilty because they do not live up to this noble woman in Proverbs? What meaning can modern-day women attach to the Proverbs 31 woman? She represents a list of qualities any woman can aspire to, rather than a list of requirements that women have to fulfil in order to be good women.

Proverbs 31 also inspires families and communities to assist women and create conditions for women where they are able to achieve their best selves: to give women enough space and support so that they have the opportunity to flourish wherever they are.

No woman, who has a daily struggle just to survive or who is exploited and abused or who does not have access to necessary basic resources, can even begin to grow and develop into the woman she is created to be.

Also, as families and communities, we should give to each woman the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships, to develop intellectually and emotionally, and very important to play and to relax. Many women do not have these opportunities.

Mary our Muse

August is also the month in which we celebrate the Assumption of Our Lady. Like Mary, all women are called to cooperate in the redemption of the world. In doing so, women are able to receive, savour and transmit natural and supernatural life.

Mary did so in silent, selfless service and availability, always aware of her calling and mission.

Similarly, a woman’s essence is best illustrated when she becomes a gift of love in and through her specific calling. The influence that she can then exert is enormous; it is however not exercised through dominance but rather by example and gently guiding persuasion. Her strength is in her gentleness.

Single women, who do not have families (and who we mistakenly might think do not have a calling), also assist in building up society, and also cooperate in the redemption of the world, like Mary.

Single women contribute to the growth of society through their dedication and availability to assist where needed. The contribution of those single women and widows who are always available to stand in where needed is very valuable because not even families can live without the help of those who have no families.

So instead of feeling bad and less of a woman, because she does not live up to the Proverbs 31 woman, let us women always remain aware of our sacred calling and mission to serve with love and gentleness, and let us fulfil this mission as confident leaders.

If women generously fulfil their mission in serving God and people, they live up to the call of Jesus Christ: I have not come to be served but to serve.