You strike the women, you strike a rock! I’m sure that this saying strikes a cord not only with South African women, but also with women all over the world who have fought for various causes.
As far as I know, the origin of this saying was when a group of women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the pass laws in 1956. There is a song that commemorates this historical event in South African history, with this audacious line: "Strijdom, you have tampered with the women, You have struck a rock."
In August, the month that celebrates women in South Africa, it’s worth reflecting on the courage, tenacity and considerable sacrifices women have made through the centuries and in various parts of the world to make life better for their communities. And it’s also worth considering the symbolism of that rock.
What connotations spring to mind when you mention a rock? Hardness? Durability? Maybe even obstinacy? Sticking to the path? Refusing to be side-tracked, pushed out of the way or distracted especially if something important is at stake. Women have taken on causes in many fields and have risen to the challenge. Medicine. Environmental concerns. Education for all. Equitable resources. The list could go on.
But it’s also worth considering the supportive role that many women have held in making history. As the saying goes, "Behind every successful man, lies a woman"! I am not a woman’s libber, far from it in fact. You only have to read through the Bible to discover the supportive role that God intended women to have.
Not that they couldn’t be leaders and entrepreneurs in their fields, or that they couldn’t use the many talents that God has gifted them with for the upliftment of their families and their communities, but the Bible also makes it quite clear than the man is the head of his household, and that Christ is the head of all. In fact, without a hierarchy, surely there would be even more conflict in the world.
Every organisation needs a boss, a leader who will ultimately make decisions on behalf of its members. There would be chaos if we all did exactly as we pleased without deferring to some sort of leader, whether he/she is a good or a bad leader. And opinions might differ on that very issue.
In a country where there is so much violence perpetrated against women and children – every August we hear the same speeches being sprouted at us about how we should value our women, only to receive horrific crime statistics relating to crimes against women during the past year, or even the past month – we need to consider very seriously the role of women in society, and how much value they can add to their communities. I also think it would be helpful to consider inspiring women from the Bible…very often the unsung heroines of the stories they inhabit.
While some might think that in our twenty-first century world, the well-known qualities of the woman who is described at the end of Proverbs are unattainable or old-fashioned and not in sync with our modern world, I feel that this inspiring piece of Scripture is worth pondering on and considering (even though many of the qualities this woman possesses are totally out of reach for me, an extremely ‘undomestic’ woman). However, the principles of hard work, multi-tasking and care for her family could apply to very many South African women I know, many of them from the poorest communities. I would like to quote a portion of this well-known passage:
"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night."
I hope you’ll agree that even if you don’t aspire to be this type of women, it is worth noting her inspirational qualities and being inspired by her character. Happy Women’s month everyone. May the women of South Africa be valued by their men, and in particular, I pray that the scourge of crime may lessen during the coming months and years.