I’m a woman of color, young, and found myself in various leadership positions in the last ten years. I’ve sat at the boy’s table, girl’s table, and the table that welcomed us both. I’m a feminist in the sense I believe women are equal in the eyes of God and should be in the eyes of man. Galatians 3:28 tells us, “there is no Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

There are women who have gone before me and paved the way for equal pay, the right to vote, the opportunities to preach and teach, and the list goes on. It is a blessing to stand for women both here and around the world, raising the banner for freedom to live the life God intended, one of vision and love, not bound by a man but led by Jesus. In the book, Half the Sky author and power couple, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn claim women are the most oppressed people in the world and provide 320 pages that explain their strong point of view and how we can rescue, restore, and educate women to take their well-deserved place in society. With stories of rape, trafficking, and slave labor, you see time and time again women robbed of an education, opportunity, love, value, and dignity by the people around them. While that may seem like a world away, we, in the Western world, are no stranger to patriarchal lifestyles and leadership that cuts women off at the knees in the home, in child rearing, at work, at church, and elsewhere.

I’ve been entrusted with boys, two of them, with all the energy you can imagine. While they are still little, both my husband and I have regular conversations about our intent to raise them void of the patriarchy or assumed roles that you find outside of scripture, but steeped deep in our culture. What we see in the Bible is our bedrock. We want our boys to see women as treasures, to be respected, valued, and agree that girls are as purposed as they are.

Image by Pix-Elated Photography

This can be interpreted in many ways, and this isn’t a “stick it to all women who do it differently”, it’s just a peek into how we do life and the values we are committed to as a family.

5 Reasons I’m Raising My Boys To Be Feminists

1. As boys that will one day be men, I want them to see women as equals in work, intelligence, strength, and vision. Their voice is not more important than hers. Their ideas are not more valuable than hers. Their leadership does not trump hers.
2. Girls’ and women’s bodies belong to them, not to you. To take advantage of women, whether on a screen or in person, is simply not acceptable. She was made in the image of God, to be celebrated, valued, and respected, not stolen from, degraded, and for your selfish pleasure.
3. When my sons are married one day I have no intention of them expecting dinner at 5, a clean house by the Mrs, and all of his needs met. While those who employ these gender roles and responsibilities have it working for them, that isn’t how our family works. I’m raising these young ones to cook, clean, and serve those around them. They will have much to contribute to their home, friendships, church, children, and marriage.
4. Yes, my boys are equal to girls, but they sure as heck better be gentlemen. Even now my husband and I are teaching them to open the door, buy her flowers, tell her she’s beautiful, and celebrate her strengths and accomplishments. This is about servant leadership. Serve her and lead alongside her.
5. Never in my days do I want my sons to think women exist to meet their needs and selfish pleasures. It is work to love, serve, and treat women fairly. Our world has a history of treating women poorly and without intention my boys will accept music that degrades women, off hand comments that devalue women, see treatment around the world that cages women, trafficking them for the love of money and sex. Instead, we are looking to raise image bearers of Jesus, protectors, not predators, men that women can trust and lead alongside.

Dr. Susan C. Hyatt writes, “Jesus was a friend of women. He vigorously promoted the dignity and equality of women in terms of both value and function.” The more I read the scriptures of how Jesus treated women the more I’m convinced the way of Jesus is to love, encourage, and value women, both now and forever.

All images by Pix-Elated Photography