Grid Blog for Int’l Women’s Day: Women in decision-making

Today is International Women's Day (IWD), a day when people around the globe reflect on the role of women and the progress that stand in front of us in fostering a world when women are no longer dominated and abused by men, in facets of life. To draw attention to this day, one of my all-time blogging heroes Rachelle is coordinating a global grid blog to smash patriarchy.  Wikipedia defines patriarchy (from Greek: patria meaning father and arché meaning rule) as:

the anthropological term used to define the sociological condition where male members of a society tend to predominate in positions of power; with the more powerful the position, the more likely it is that a male will hold that position

This effort to smash patriarchy seems central to the area of focus of IWD this year: women in decision-making.

I must confess that my grip on the hammer to smash patriarchy is awfully weak.  I am used to being in power, solely based on my gender and my skin pigmentation.  Most of my professional career, I have excelled while far more capable women have jumped through hoop after hoop.  In the church world, while my denomination has made moves to clear some barriers, the truth is that women are all too often relegated to jobs that are far beneath their gifting.

My wife has taught me most of what I know about the need to hammer away, as best as I can.  She is fierce and tender, strong while living in a broken-ness that lets the light in.  To be honest, she embodies an image of the Holy One that I yearn to embrace, but I cower away from for fear of losing my manliness.

My primary motivation for hammering is that my daughters suffer from my inaction in smashing patriarchy.  I live in a world where the majority of professional God-bearers are men, the majority of political leaders are men, the majority of business and organizational leaders are men.  Trust me, I know all the arguements about how long change takes and how accomodating women make more progress than whiny ones.  I know thosea arguements because I've used them to keep woemn "in their place"  To keep my wife and daughters in their place.  To keep my place - of power, of dominion, of headship.

The hammering must start with me, despite my desire to make a list of men to hit.  I need to step towards a God who is most certainly not a he (or a she), I need to step back to allow smarter, ,ore capable women to take my place, I need to trade my power for day care and affirmative action and extraordinary steps to bring reconciliation, I need to face my fellow patriarchs and call us to account, to pray and ask for forgiveness.

MLK's words shame me:
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter

Comments

[tonya]

Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability...it demonstrates everything that is NOT patriarchal. I am moved by your motivation to "hammer" for the sake of your daughters. For God's sake, let there be more fathers who would take up the hammer for this cause.

[anj]

"My primary motivation for hammering is that my daughters suffer from my inaction in smashing patriarchy." Bless you for facing this truth.

[Nuno Barreto]

Yes, I agree, When we don't do anything about it, we are helping it go on...

[rick]

All injustice starts with us.

My two favorite people on this planet are women-- my wife and my mother.

They deserve justice.