the contribution of the women

It is obvious that no society can achieve its maximum strength unless each individual
makes his or her maximum contribution. There is one group which exhibits feelings of
disenfranchisement in every region of the world—and that is women. Women all over the world
feel that they are second-rate and that only men can reach their full potential. This discrimination
begins while the baby is still in the womb, so that a female baby is often considered of less value
and the pregnancy terminated. This discrimination continues throughout the life of a woman.
This discrimination is confirmed by tradition, by educational institutions, by the legal system,
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within the family, and, sadly, even by religion in many cases.
2
 As a result, women are often at a
disadvantage in terms of education,
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 job opportunities, and economically.
Added to this, there are sufficient numbers of men who want to place women into sexual
slavery. This takes the form of rape,
4,5
 incest, involuntary marriages,
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 selling daughters into
prostitution, and a variety of other forms of sexual slavery.
7,8
 In times of war, women are freely
raped. In this regard, at best, women are viewed as the spoils of war. At worst, women are the
means by which one group of men humiliate another. All of this is dehumanizing to women.
That we should have to enact a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women is a sad commentary on our world. If we are ever going to have
healthy societies, we must give to women the dignity God gave them, and help to remove the
shackles that they feel. We men are a large part of the problem. It is we men as a group that
make women feel second-rate. Therefore, we men must take the initiative to change the way we
view women and treat them. There are several issues we must deal with.
First, what is men’s view of women? Women are viewed by men as beings who have
something that men want—generally, affection. At the same time, men are afraid that women
will not voluntarily give this precious gift and they, therefore, attempt to deprive women of their
right to voluntarily give this gift—or to withhold it. The irony is that it is the tenderness of
women that adds to our lives, and yet it is their tenderness that we abuse in insisting on our own
way. Moreover, we men have too often attempted to get our way with women by manipulation,
deceit and, regrettably, even physical force. The justifiable resentment on the part of women has
led to a gender war. This war between the genders is difficult to break down in the warmest of
male-female relationships. As a result, both men and women have scars that are passed down
from generation to generation.
Men blind themselves to the fact that women have many strengths. We men fail to see the
many beautiful characteristics that are unique to women. We fail to listen to the cry of their
hearts.
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 Instead, we are preoccupied with winning the gender war. Let me ask you two questions:
Can women reach their full potential in a male-dominated world? NO! This is obvious. However,
consider the second question: Can men reach their full potential in a male-dominated world?
NO! Men who insist on dominating women, thereby preventing women from
reaching their full potential, hurt their own selves. As a result, men live empty lives. Women
experience a second-rate existence. — How sad! Men live empty lives and women experience a
second-rate existence. Is this not blindness?
The second issue is: What is God’s vi