I am all for gender equality and women empowerment. It would just be nice if the same was encouraged for motherly duties at home. These days, some women have been challenging their men 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 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 are not only being pushed for them, but they too are now actively involved in pushing for a 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 emotional 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’ women just cast aside. If only they knew the impact it has on their children, especially in the long term. Women are the backbone of society. A society is able to function and stand firm, because of most 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 the 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.

• Olavi Popyeinawa

• Twitter: @olavipopyeinawa

• Email: olavipopyeinawa@gmail.com