The Oxford English dictionary defines a feminist simply as an advocate or supporter of the rights and equality of women.
The term and its meaning is quite straight forward, but the very concept of feminism has always generated heated public debate and controversy.
A recent case in point in Ghana is the new message by a feminist group calling itself Pepper Dem Ministries, advocating that cooking for a man is equal to slavery.
At the core of their advocacy is the insistence that men should also partake in cooking in marriage. In fact, they have sworn to ensure that men go to the kitchen.
As a child growing up, I have always known that in marriage, it is the responsibility of the woman to make sure that her home is welcoming and comfortable for her husband, while the man takes care of other major responsibilities regarding the welfare of the family.
But these Pepper Dem feminists insist that to the extent that lately, women also pursuing male-dominated careers, make money and pay the house bills like men do, it is only fair that the men also get into the kitchen and do what the women do.
In answer to the Pepper Dem Ministries, another group calling itself Sugardem GH has emerged, insisting that these demands from the former would only reduce marriage from a love relationship to a mere contract without emotions.
Sugardem GH, comprising of career women and men, have also sworn to resist any attempt to stop women from pleasing their men to keep marriages intact. In fact some of them said they feel pampered by their husbands and they will never go insisting on some ‘rights’ that will mar the pampering.
Well, here is a BettyBlueMenz perspective: those career women advocating for equality in marriage, I believe you should think again because no Ghanaian man will settle with a woman who always want to be at the same level with him. That is a simple fact you cannot change.
The Holy Bible also says the man is the head of the woman, which to me implies that, per God’s divine and wise arrangement, the man has been assigned to protect and provide for the woman. It does not make sense to fight for equal rights with the one assigned to provide you with protection.
The same Bible says the woman is the covering for the man. In other words, the woman covers the man’s shame. This means, even if the woman provides for the house, she is not to make it known to the public for the man to be ridiculed.
I believe if the women make their men feel loved and pampered, the men will be willing to do any and everything for the woman. I do not see how cooking for your husband out of love is slavery; would you then say it is slavery for the men to work hard to provide for their women?
So Pepper Dem Ministries, unless you want to tell me God was wrong in saying “wives, submit to your own husbands”, you need to come again with this your controversial position.
Remember, your counterparts in the Sugardem GH and many other women like them are willing to cook for your husbands and snatch them from you if you insist on not cooking for them.
For starters, Sugardem GH is providing a buffet cooked by career women at the forecourt of Joy FM on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2018.
I rest my case here…
BBM