Article June 14, 1993 Issue

Women's rights and true womanhood

We all can discover more joy and progress through a better understanding of true womanhood.

Eileen Edwards

Increasingly, today's women, and many men, too, are confidently claiming the undeniable right of women to be accepted as equal with men. The intelligence, business sense, artistic talent, and spiritual insight of women, as well as their right to follow a career with opportunities for advancement equal to those of their male colleagues, are being more widely recognized and acknowledged. Perhaps this reflects a growing conviction in society that women have a vital part to play in our world in all walks of life.

When we look at this issue from a spiritual perspective, the essential nature of true womanhood stands out, generous and compassionate, patient and perceptive. The qualities of true womanhood—and manhood—are really inherent in all of us, because our genuine selfhood is the reflection of our Father-Mother God. Understanding and claiming this spiritual fact can enlarge the horizon of our thinking with a powerful freeing effect on our lives.

The spiritual perspective on womanhood can be found in the Bible. For example, the first chapter of Genesis describes the nature of man in these words: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." The New Testament tells us God is Spirit; thus this verse can be seen as bringing out the spiritual nature of man, the indestructible individuality of each one of us.

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