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Are women truly weaker vessels?

By Oreva Godwin

I know, the first instinct of most of my dearest readers, in reaction to the question of whether women are weaker vessels may be in the affirmative. After all, the Bible calls women the “weaker vessel.” But today, I want to challenge that idea and to postulate that women are not inherently weak. Rather, they’ve been programmed to be seen as weak, so they don’t rise to compete with men.

When did God call women weaker vessels? Never. The Creator has never called them weak. Why? Because we were all made in His image and likeness, and God does not create anything inferior. He does not create weak people.

It was the disciples of Jesus who labeled women as the weaker vessel, using the mistake of Eve to cast all women into the shadow of weakness. Not your Creator. Not Jesus.

And if you believe that because it’s in the Bible, it must be unquestionable, then let’s go there.

Didn’t the same Paul also say: “As in all the churches of the saints, women should keep silent in the churche. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.” 1 Corinthians 14:34–35.

Yet today, women preach. Women lead churches. Women lay hands and heal. Women teach and shape doctrine. Why? Because even the Church realizes that much of what was written was shaped by the culture of the time, a time when women were forced into the shadows of men. A time when the sin of the first woman was held against every woman.

Let me make something clear: I’m not your typical feminist. I don’t challenge the role of a man. A man remains the head of the family and should act like it, as both protector and provider, as ordained by nature and by God.

But in the economy? In leadership? In class struggle? Women have equal rights, and should hold equal power.

What makes women “Weaker”? Women are emotional beings. Men, they say, are rational. It’s not that we are born weak. It’s that we often let emotions rule us, and in that space, we become vulnerable.

If a woman wants to reach the same height of influence and power as a man, she must learn to master her emotions and think with strategy. “Think like a man,” as the world puts it.

What destroyed Eve? Emotion. Satan entertained her, became her companion, then triggered her feelings and made her question everything, awakening what would later be interpreted as her “weakness.”

Men, on the other hand, are often taught not to let emotion hinder productivity. That’s the major difference. While women may allow love and family to become their distraction, men often pursue ambition without looking back.

The “Philosopher King” blueprint. Plato once said that a true king should have no family, because family is a distraction. The state is his family. The people, his children.

Men apply this philosophy in a twisted way. They build families, then hand over the home to the women while they chase their dreams. Meanwhile, women are expected to downsize their dreams to make room for family.

Nneka was the smartest girl in class, a true brainiac. Dayo, her classmate, worked tirelessly to beat her, but always came second.

His teacher noticed Dayo’s drive to defeat Nneka. One day, the teacher told Dayo: “Don’t worry about Nneka. She’s developing. Boys will soon start distracting her. Then you’ll surpass her.”

And it happened. A year later, Nneka got distracted. A boy was spinning her with love and attention and she lost focus and was distracted. She dropped to 7th place. Recovery was hard.

Katherine and Klaus worked at the same firm. Dating between colleagues was against the rules, but they kept their love a secret. The plan? Rise together, become too valuable to be fired and get the rules bent.

But things changed when the boss praised Katherine and told Klaus to “watch out for her.” Suddenly, Klaus saw her as competition.

He started ignoring her, driven by jealousy. When a big position opened, both were eligible and Klaus worked like never before. They were to get their pitch ready to bring in a big client in order to get the position. Katherine, being the “loving partner,” considered stepping aside for her man. She felt she had the brain and can get any opening that could come up later. Her boss, however, had already picked her in mind.

Back home, she saw how hard Klaus was trying on his pitch. She decided to quit the race that day, until she saw a message on his phone. It was from their junior colleague telling him to take her down. She was shocked by their conversation, that he saw her like a threat, and talked her down.

She took her things back to her apartment, focused on her pitch. Because she had the fear of Klaus stealing her work, she ended visitations and wowed her biggest client and his board of directors. She worked on her pitch with tenacity and later landed the role of Principal Consultant on her own terms.

Lola and Edem both worked at a bank. Lola was known for being a goal getter and was a threat to Edem, even though Edem kept her on her toes. Their energy was noticed in the bank and were considered a power couple, if they happened to ever agreed to marry.

Edem loved Lola for her brain and personality, and they fell in love and courted. Edem proposed and Lola happily accepted. One of them had to quit. As a typical African woman, Lola chose love over career.

She quit her job, got married, and became pregnant. A former banker of 7 years was now a stay-at-home wife. She grew frustrated. Eventually, Edem opened a small cosmetic store for her so she could make out time for the family and still be busy. But her dreams were gone.

Emotion is the silent saboteur. This is why women are perceived as weak, not because they are weak, but because they let emotions dictate their decisions.

Women marry what’s available, not what aligns with their purpose. They seek men who offer comfort, not men who challenge them to grow. And they let the fear of “What will people say?” “Time is going” to drive them into desperate choices. Women abandon authenticity and let go of who we are.

As a woman, choose purpose over distraction. You are not weak. You are strong. Stick to your dreams. Never abandon purpose.

When you meet your Creator, He will not ask how beautiful your children were or how amazing your home was. He will ask: “What did you do with the gifts and talents I gave you?”

Nobody gives awards for keeping the cleanest house. Nobody makes history because they married on time. Men are not considered strong because they marry or provide. They are regarded strong because they chase purpose. They build legacies and attach their names to empires.

Men will tell you that they are doing something “for the family.” But deep down, they’re building a name, something that will outlive them.

What will outlive you? So I ask all women: “What is your legacy?
Your family? Or your dream?

Was Dora Akunyili remembered for her family? No. She had a family, yes, but she is remembered for her work. Her name lives on in the hearts of Nigerians. She made history. And so can you.

Stop making your family your only goal and achievement in life.
Build your name.
Build your legacy.
Build your purpose.

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