Daughters of Eve

 

The story of Eve, in the book of Genesis, has been the source of a woman’s identity throughout history. Even those raised in other religions probably know the outline of her story. God makes Adam, God makes Eve out of a part of Adam, and Satan tempts Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge that God forbid, they disobeyed, ate the fruit, and were thrown out of the garden. This without a doubt has had an extremely negative impact on women for ages. Many still think that women share the ignominy of Eve, except of course Mary, Jesus’ mother.
 
The themes of evil and seductiveness have often been associated with women in writing. The consequences have been detrimental to many. There are battered women out there because people assume that Eve is inferior to Adam. In recent times, many women find these misogynist views unpleasant and disagreeable. Some refuse to accept the Biblical account, and others believe that the story of Eve can be interpreted from a feminist point of view. I reckon the story of Eve is not meant to be prescriptive. Rather, God explains to Eve the propensity of human nature to err. Adam played the role of a leader, but it did not diminish the special identity of Eve. Eve is wakeful and realizes the need to grow up and look after themselves. Thus, Eve overcomes her fearful self and taps into ways to ground herself in her own body.
 
The ancient Greek poem Illiad says Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman. She was abducted against her will and the decade-long Trojan War took place because the Prince of Troy wanted to possess Helen. Crickey, the beauty, and agony of womanhood! So, what do you think - Is beauty a grace or a curse? As a little girl, I was told I am beautiful no matter what. As I grew up, I learned the treacherous scheme of comparison with other women. I apply makeup with great attention and choose pretty clothes to meet the standards. I was mindful of my asymmetrical, odd, bumpy, and bland face. But in time, I made peace with it. Some have flawless skin, some are athletic, and others are good at math or literature. I certainly do not wish to check every box. Just about every time, we tend to think that beauty gives confidence and ease, and several other attributes such as pleasing others, and being admired and cherished. I suppose a woman can have all of that by simply being herself.

Eve's role as a child-bearer is another unresolved bastion of patriarchy. Throughout history, motherhood has been a misery for many women. This includes the pain of childbirth, post-natal trauma, idealization of mothers, and the social and cultural consequences of childlessness, intentional and unintentional. Is this the curse of Eve? I believe, God neither does forbid an epidural block that relieves pain during labour nor does He want men to be cruel or oppressive. Bringing up a child has become more shared now and yet the buck stops with the mother. To evolve as a mother, one has to quash patriarchy, find their voice, and value their judgment.

Often, I think about Mary of Nazareth. She was a young immigrant under Roman rule, she intends to marry Joseph, risks the family’s reputation, and risks abuse by society, then the gravity of parenthood hits her, flees a madman king and state-decreed infanticide, then her Son goes missing for three days at the age of 12, later He goes into the wilderness for 40 days and the list goes on. Beyond doubt, she wasn’t immune to motherly worry. Every time I’m overwhelmed I think of her courage, and I bust a gut to channel an ounce of her courage.

Historians try hard to expose the hollowness of the belief that women are just child-bearers and objects of male desire. The study of prehistoric shreds of evidence suggests that their gender roles were not sharply defined. Men and women had equal roles to make certain of their survival. Stone etchings and exhumed graves from pre-history suggest possibilities that the early men and women had a fairer, more egalitarian society.  The aberration of inequality between men and women came later. It's hard not to write about it. Our progress so far is a miracle. Women's rights are not something we decide when it feels convenient. It's the bedrock of our humanity. It could be inconvenient for some. That's precisely why women must work so hard to defend their rights.

All that is to say, we aren’t punished for Eve’s sin. We are punished for our own. And it doesn’t stop there. The restoration must involve, at its very core, men treating women in a dignified manner, men considering women as equals that they are, and men loving, cherishing, and protecting women as daughters of Eve, the first woman, created by God to experience freedom and joy.

Happy Women’s day!