We just want our mothers to be our mothers and our fathers to be our fathers at home. That is our safe place.
I am all for gender equality and woman empowerment, it would just be nice if the same was encouraged for motherly duties at home. These days women have been challenging their man in front of their children and acting very ‘unwomanly’ all in the name of gender equality. As the world changes and opens up more, the definition and role of a woman continues to change with it. That is good, because I personally feel that women have mostly been receiving the short end of the deal when it comes to opportunities and preferences. The young women of today are in a particularly great time, as female empowerment and gender equality is not only being pushed for, for them, but they too are now actively involved in pushing for fair playing field.
However, as they make progress in one area, they seem to be regressing in another. Women seem to sometimes forget that they are the mothers and caregivers of the world. They seem to disregard their motherly duty, which goes beyond just looking after children and the household, but also looking after their husbands. They possess skills and emotionally empathy that is generally lacking in men. That is a God-given attribute that women have. Some women have become so busy, like their male counterparts, that they now hire people to raise and look after their children and husbands while they are unavailable. There is a special unspoken bond between a child and a mother, that ‘independent’ woman just come to cast aside, if only they knew the impact it has on their children, especially in the long term. Women are the backbone of a society, a society is able to function and stand firm, because mostly of the silent work that women do behind closed doors.
As much as gender equality and women empowerment are being advocated for, we should also keep in mind the values and systems that have been in place for many years before us, that have helped shape some of the greatest women and men of our country.
As young people get older, they understand that work becomes an integral part of life as a means to survive and look after your family, amongst other things. The one thing that baffles me, is how people preach family first at home, but put the family on a back burner in the outside world. Maybe it’s one of those things that a person understands, as you get older and start your own family.
Say less, think loud!
* Olavi Popyeinawa has a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia (Unam). He will weekly contributing this column on youth mattersInstagram: niceguy_olavi Facebook: Olavi Longfellow Twitter: @OlaviPopyeinawa