Growing up, I was taught that I could accomplish anything I wanted to. My parents never treated me as less because I am female, and I never felt inferior to males. I have been taught that men and women are different. This difference does not mean that one is less than the other. It simply means that they each have different abilities and skills that can help the other.
I am grateful for this knowledge, and hold it close to my heart, especially with all the debates surrounding gender that have become so common in the today’s society.
There seems to be a strong push for equality between males and females, and I think the idea of equality is wonderful. However, this desire for equality has transformed into the desire to prove that women can do everything men can do, and vice versa.
This is not the case. Men and women are not the same. They have different roles and responsibilities, and even biologically, they are different. Men’s brains and women’s brains are not the same, and this manifests itself in many of the natural abilities and tendencies of each gender.
Even in childhood, when playing with toys, children demonstrate gender differences. Girls tend to play more with dolls, while boys are more drawn to cars and trucks. This is because males are more action oriented and girls are more people oriented. This is generally speaking, however. There are always exceptions to the norm.
It is vital to understand the importance of gender differences in order to not compete. In the world today, there seems to be a competition between which gender is better or superior, and the truth is that both are equally necessary and good. Especially in the home.
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” explains that “By divine design fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.” Obviously, there are situations where responsibilities are changed depending on the family, but that is why it’s important to have both husband and wife working together as equals in the family.
The natural, biological differences between men and women help them fulfill roles in the home. For example, women have more connective tissues in their brain which allows them to be aware of more things at one time. This is beneficial in their role of nurturing children because they can be aware of each of the children’s needs, where they are, what they are doing, and also other affairs of the home.
My parents are wonderful examples of fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, but also working together as one. My dad has always provided for and protected the family, and he presides over us. My mother stayed at home with us while we were growing up and was the primary nurturer. Their talents and abilities added to the other’s and they supported each other in all they did. They never competed or felt the need to prove superiority over the other. They understood their equality in their differences.
I am grateful for the examples of men and women who support one another in their individual abilities and talents. When men and women try to prove they are better than the other, they degrade them and negate their divine nature and abilities. We should be supportive of one another. Linda K. Burton said, “When we seek to ‘complete’ rather than ‘compete,’ it is so much easier to cheer each other on!” Let us seek to complete one another in our marriages and families. As we do so, we will find more happiness in our homes.
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