International Women's Day

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  (Galatians 3:28)

Today is the 100th International Women's Day.  I read a post today about what it means to be a feminist.

What do I believe?

• I believe that women and men are equal, and should be seen as such.  We are not the same, one of us is not superior to the other.  We are equal.
• I believe that when my role in life -- in the family, in the church, at work -- is defined by my gender, then I do not have equality.  I believe the same thing for men.  Neither of us are free until both genders are free.  Stereotypes for both must be eliminated.
• I believe that God can call a man or a woman to any role in his kingdom.  It is not up to me to say, "You are a man; you can be called to preach while she is a female, and will not be."  God has the say.
• I believe God calls men and women to every aspect of ministry.  He does not call based on what we define as gender roles.  I have seen the grand variety of people called to an infinite number of tasks and given an beautiful array of gifts for his work and I cannot be convinced otherwise.
• I believe that I should live my life as I am called to live it by God, not how others may define my role because of my gender.
• I believe that women and men should be free from harassment and oppression -- in this discussion, I would highlight freedom from oppression because of gender.  I remember when I was a kid there was a trial in the courts about a woman's right to tell her husband "no" to intimacy.  I can't imagine such a discussion even happening now. 
• I believe in equal pay for equal work and qualifications.  I believe it is not the case in society today.
• I believe we should raise our children to not make judgements based on gender (or ethnicity or race or ....).

I hope I live my life in a way that teaches my sons that both men and women have value in society -- that each person brings talents and gifts to each situation.  I hope they see their parents as living lives in which my husband and I value each other for who we are, not who we are "expected" to be by gender norms.  I am grateful to be married to a man who values my abilities and encourages me to use them, and I hope I do the same for him.

In the past (not now), I have been paid less than my work was worth, and I believe part of that was related to my gender.  I have been viewed as not really grasping complex, logical systems (I am a girl; I can't possibly know how electricity works), not understanding math, not understanding business.  I have been asked to the secretary because I was the only woman in a room of men.  I have been in a room where it was assumed I was the secretary because of my gender.  I have even had people conduct conversations around me because I was the wife and not the husband.  I have been in places where it was assumed that my husband would be preaching (even though he had come as my guest). 

I have been accepted as an equal.  The gifts God has given me have been accepted as valid and affirmed.  I have been invited to use them in authentic and challenging ways.  I am grateful for that.

I am grateful that I have been called by God to teach (men and women), to preach, to organize, to write, to encourage, to love and to care.  I have been called by God to be Kim.  To be me -- the best "me" I can be. 

I am a feminist.