WOMEN IN RELIGION 

Recently, I posted the image below on a social media platform with the caption "Submissive does not mean slavery! He got to help if he can.". This generated lots of controversies from both men and women, especially the acclaimed religious men. Before I posted this picture, I kept asking myself the actual role of women in religion? Is it defined, or we just generated some roles and imposed them on women?

 

 

Women play an essential role in developing religions worldwide, from Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and others. However, they are seen as subordinates in most institutions of religion. In a Christian society, women's role in churches are less than men's and even marriages, but usually take a lead role like ministerial positions within a church. For Islam, women cannot be an Imam (a lead role) in religious services, although some women mostly preach within women's congregation. At their places of worship, men and women are being segregated.

 Most Islamic countries tend to be strict on laws preventing women from going to school, dressing modestly, which is good as it prevents them from being viewed sexually. However, within Islamic law, there are differences between women's and men's rights and roles, and Islamic treatment of women is often characterized as extremely repressive. In most homes in Africa, having men being heads of the family means he is not subjected to help with any role in the house and the least mistake or aggressive behavior a mother/woman shows, she is being threatened with "Your heaven is under my feet." In most Islamic communities in Ghana, it is believed that a married woman's ability to seek heaven depends on how she treats and serve her husband. With this, most men tend to be reluctant when it comes to house roles.

There is no doubt that the rise in feminism during the second half of the 20th century directly influenced the increased number of women being allowed to become religious leaders such as priests and bishops. Religion has not been exempted from the widespread improvement in the representation of women throughout society. As with other issues concerning women in positions of power, there is opposition amongst those who have more traditional views on the role of a woman. Education had helped in achieving women's empowerment and equality (although, It is still underway).