Diginity of Womanhood
DIGNITY OF WOMANHOOD
By Ali A Shafie
Everyone man and woman should acknowledge and accept his/her sexual identity. The catechism of the Catholic Church with reference to the Bible said in creating men ‘Male and female’ ‘God gives man and woman an equal personal dignity. “Man is a person, man and woman equally so, since both were created in the image and likeness of the personal God (CCC 2333, 2334, Gn1: 27). Dignity means respect, self esteem, poise, decorum, distinction, stateliness, self-satisfaction that is devoid of complacency, self assurance that does not include vanity, seemliness, majesty, nobility, worth, goodness, solemnity, grandeur, impressiveness, soberness and confidence. Womanhood is the state of being a woman, that is, an adult female human being (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English). The image of womanhood that was dented in the role Eve played in the fall of man at creation was restored by Mary at the coming through her, the Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Father of Mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of the death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life (Lumen Gentium, Nov,1964).
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria wrote in the year 2002 on the dignity of womanhood and made references to various portions in the Sacred Scripture which has extolled the virtues of the contributions of a whole array of women to the unfolding of Salvation History in the Old Testament. The list includes Sarah, Rebecca, Rachael, Hannah, Deborah, Ruth, Judith and many others. The humility and the
By Ali A Shafie
Everyone man and woman should acknowledge and accept his/her sexual identity. The catechism of the Catholic Church with reference to the Bible said in creating men ‘Male and female’ ‘God gives man and woman an equal personal dignity. “Man is a person, man and woman equally so, since both were created in the image and likeness of the personal God (CCC 2333, 2334, Gn1: 27). Dignity means respect, self esteem, poise, decorum, distinction, stateliness, self-satisfaction that is devoid of complacency, self assurance that does not include vanity, seemliness, majesty, nobility, worth, goodness, solemnity, grandeur, impressiveness, soberness and confidence. Womanhood is the state of being a woman, that is, an adult female human being (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English). The image of womanhood that was dented in the role Eve played in the fall of man at creation was restored by Mary at the coming through her, the Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Father of Mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of the death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life (Lumen Gentium, Nov,1964).
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria wrote in the year 2002 on the dignity of womanhood and made references to various portions in the Sacred Scripture which has extolled the virtues of the contributions of a whole array of women to the unfolding of Salvation History in the Old Testament. The list includes Sarah, Rebecca, Rachael, Hannah, Deborah, Ruth, Judith and many others. The humility and the