Women's Day - A call for equality not sameness

Happy Women's day to you all.... a significant day to remember the beauty and empowerment gifted to us all by those who have gone before us and those we journey with. 

Today we held a special evening prayer reflection in the parish follow by cheese and wine. It was predominately women who attended, yet one strong brave male came too. It was great to have his presence as we, women, can not fully come alive without those male counterparts. After all, for those who are married, we only get one part of you, your husband is the other then the Lord interwoven between this... so its wonderful when there is unite together, seeing a whole. 

The prayer evening was put together by the JPIC group. (Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation) Started with explaining the history of how this day came about. 

One reason this day was chosen to celebrate the Global contributions of women, was as an Anniversary of the worker’s resistance. March 8, 1908 15,000 garment workers, many of whom were immigrants, began a three month strike against the unsafe sweatshop conditions in which they were forced to work. I give thanks to these women and children and the many others who have fought and continue to fight for a place in history, society and the future. 

Then follow by a reflective prayer that is above in the video form. After which we reflected on some questions of what this years theme 'Leave no women behind' really looks like in terms of living it, and also what it means in the larger picture. 

While this days acknowledges the need especially in today’s society for equality. I feel its important to express that its not a call to be treated the same!! IN other words, both male and female roles and responsibilities are interchangeable. 

NO

There is no call for the need of women to be more like men - or men to be more like women. We need radical, counter cultural men and women who dare to delight in God’s design. 

It seems that the way society is at the moment with what feels like a parliament operating out of masculine anxiety, the women always seems to be softer or more vulnerable in terms of domestic violence, human trafficking, sex slavery and the list goes on…. she will suffer unjustly at the hands of others…. While legal protection or intervention is absolutely necessary to try to alleviate her plight. Gender bending and role obliteration does not help the cause only making matters harder. 

So on this day, there is a call for equality… remember its will not be achieved by pushing gender neutralisation of roles. Women do not need to be the same to be equal…. 

We are encouraged to embrace and delight in what it means to be a women. While men, I call out to you to step up to the plate and be men. 

It was a beautiful evening of unity and thanksgiving. While some women could not be with us, they were there in spirit. This morning at mass we were invited to think of all the women in our lives, on the journey and place them before the altar in prayer, in thanksgiving. What a rich and blessed world I live in to be surrounded by so much beauty!