We’re aware of the statistics:
– Globally, 1 in 3 women will be beaten or sexually abused in their lifetime. 1 in 5 will be raped.
– 70% of the world’s poorest people are women and women hold less than 1% of the World’s titled land.
– Two-thirds of the 774 million illiterate people in the world are female because girls are often denied an education.
– Of the 40.3 million slaves alive today, 75% of them are women and girls.
– White women, on average, make 80 cents to a man’s dollar in the US, that gap increases vastly for women of color.
I could go on, but the truth is that women are the largest group of oppressed people on the planet, and that is something we should all care about.
I’ve found that too often the Church is not concerned with the inequity of women. In fact, I’ve found that feminism has become a dirty word, and I’ve been told that I can’t be a feminist and a Christian. I’m here to prove that notion wrong.
Jesus empowered, honored, protected, celebrated, respected, and learned from women in his time. Sadly, much of the church fails to do the same by banning women from teaching or preaching or holding roles outside of motherhood. This is to mention nothing of sexual abuse that runs rampant in some churches.
I think we miss God’s heart when we refuse to empower or listen to women, more than that, I think we cause a lot of pain. An unequal and less-than view of women contributes to a host of injustices, and that is why I fight for feminism and women’s equality.
For years I worked as a missionary with sexually exploited and oppressed women. After befriending them and hearing their stories, they taught me what no one else could have: how to take a stand.
Through witnessing the extreme oppression of other women, I finally started using my voice on behalf of others. As I spoke out against the atrocious injustices that they endured, ranging from rape to being beaten within an inch of their lives to worse, I started to notice a link. Their oppression, while more life-threatening and extreme, had the same roots as my own.
The times when strangers had grabbed whatever body part they wanted, the times where I was followed, cat-called, or had men masturbating out my window. The countless times I was told to keep quiet, submit, stay in the home, and cover up in order to be a “good” woman all, seemed to serve one purpose: to make me “less-than” a man.
Their oppression, while much more extreme, had the same roots. When it came down to it, inequality, a “less-than” view of women was what was driving the violence, the purchase, and the oppression of women.
The truth is you do not buy a woman unless she is an object. You do not assault her unless her consent does not matter. You do not silence her unless you believe her voice is not valuable.
Slowly, through learning to speak up about their injustice, I was able to speak out against the injustice I had endured myself. These women I met gave me my most cherished gift: a voice.
And that’s what led me to feminism. Even though the pages of the Bible scream against injustice, and Jesus was a true feminist, I didn’t see feminism’s holy power until I met these brave and incredible women around the globe.
That’s why I host a podcast called Faith and Feminism, that’s why I published a book, and honestly, that’s why I finally see my own worth and value.
I am just beginning to listen to the Faith and Feminism podcast and am already really enjoying it! It simultaneously is light-hearted and down to earth, while addressing relevant topics and issues that women face. It brings light and challenge to these issues while also making me laugh. I would definitely recommend listening to this podcast!
Meghan dives deep into topics that most people growing up in the church don’t have a chance to learn about. She handles differing viewpoints well and encourages people to think critically. I’ve learned so much from this podcast.
Meghan is a leader and takes us places we all need to go to unlearn and rethink so many harmful ideas in our head!
I love the topics Meghan covers on the Podcast! She isn’t afraid to tackle difficult, less discussed topics and give listeners a place to explore their faith in different ways. So many of these episodes have inspired me to take action in my own life and start conversations with friends and family.
As a man this is a great way for me to learn more about equality and see my own blind spots. For instance the purity culture episodes. I didn’t realize how wide spread it was and the real harm that it causes since it hadn’t effected me! Highly recommend it!