By: Joseph Akim Gordon
In theory men and women are equal but, in many of our communities this is not applicable, we noted that many of our communities’ members regarded women as not equal to men in many aspects women or girls do not receive equal opportunities in the families, as far as education is concerned given the high expenses in school fees, parents often will select the male children for education, because it is believed that male child will ensure the continuity of the family inheritance, as the girl will get married so she must get married so that the parent can get wealthy, but girls at young age forced to marry to an old man provided the old man is able to pay a heavy dowry, even if the girl pleads to the parents to continue her education but her request ignored her concern and forced to early marriage. Government should enact a law to protect girls from early marriage; the national law should be made active to prevent parents for trading their daughters.
The parents are blinded with the dowry and ignoring the right to education for their daughter, not knowing that a girl that is educated gets employed that the girl will continuously support her parents. after marriage will continue to support her parents, unlike the boys after receiving the education with the support of the family once they are employed, will support their own children and wife, and ignore the parents who brought them to life. educate them but now ignoring the support of the aging parents.
The equality between men and women is not just restricted to the communities but also to religious groups, for the Catholic church no female is ordained as priests the highest position for woman in the Catholic church is the superior sister, and the rule of the celibacy in the church has restricted the entrance to the seminary to pursue the theological education to become priest in the catholic church. Even in Islamic faith no woman is allowed to become imam, to make it worse women are not allowed to pray in front but allowed to take back seats
According to biblical narratives Paul forbids women “to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:12). They are, rather, “to remain quiet.” Women are to occupy themselves with what God has called them to do—to be quiet learners. They are not to take up the forbidden pursuits outlined in verse 12. What are these pursuits? Paul mentions two. The first is teaching. The context is important here. Paul does not forbid women from any and all teaching activities, even within the church. Rather, Paul forbids women from the public preaching and teaching of the Word of God when the church is assembled in public worship. This work belongs to the elders of the church or the ordained clergy
Gender equality in South Sudan needs more awareness, as it is very difficult to adjust to equality because our culture so much deeply rooted in support of man in all aspects, it will take long time for man and women equality. We give credibility to protestant church to ordain women to priesthood and as such the population of women in the church seems to be more than men
Another concern for the government to be proactive to implement the 35% number of women to be engaged in the government and other institutions, in good faith the Government pronounced the 35% involvement of women in all the sectors in the government, up to now very little achievement made so far, but the government must adhere to this obligation.
The author can be reached through e-mail: akimgordon222@gmail.com