{"id":94187,"date":"2025-09-14T22:03:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T22:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=94187"},"modified":"2025-09-14T22:03:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T22:03:38","slug":"equality-looks-different-now-a-mothers-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=94187","title":{"rendered":"Equality looks different now: A mother\u2019s perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 32 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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They say motherhood transforms a woman completely. I used to think those wise women were
only talking about physical changes: stretch marks, weight gain, and sleepless nights. But now that
I\u2019ve carried a child, crossed the threshold of life and death, and given birth to a son, I understand
the depth of the change they were referring to.<\/p>\n

Motherhood doesn\u2019t just change your body. It reshapes your mind, your emotions, and even your
spirit. Most of all, it changes the way you see the world. Before my baby, all I cared about was
keeping myself alive and safe. <\/p>\n

After the baby, all I care about is protecting him from the world,
which can be cruel sometimes. As I keep thinking, I also thought about how I can train my boy to
grow into the kind of man who can make the world safe for others. This thought sparked a single
realization.<\/p>\n

One morning, while playing with my eleven-month-old son, this thought struck me sharply: he is
growing so fast. A few months ago, he was a fragile newborn in my arms, crying for milk. Now,
he is strong enough to stand, wobble, laugh, and call out \u201cda-da.\u201d And suddenly, as I thought about
all the conversations around gender equality in Ghana, it hit me: in a society often described as
patriarchal, my son is already judged by his gender before he has even learned what it means to be
a man.<\/p>\n

That realization shook me. But being a boy mom gives me an opportunity and responsibility to
raise a son who can help make the world safer, fairer, and more humane.<\/p>\n

From Equality to Equity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before motherhood, equality for women was an idea I debated with my husband, my friends, and
in my own reflections on faith and culture. But now, as I watch my son grow and imagine the kind
of man he will become (a father, a friend, a leader), equality feels different. It feels personal,
urgent, and more complicated.<\/p>\n

Growing up, I saw how certain roles were assigned to boys and girls. A friend of my mother had
five sons. None of them ever lifted a hand to help with chores, because her husband had warned
her not to involve \u2018his sons in any girly activities in the home.\u2019 He didn\u2019t want to \u201cturn them into
girls.\u201d In many homes, boys were groomed to lead while girls were trained to serve. Boys were
allowed to be messy and bold; girls were praised for being quiet and neat. When anyone switches
roles, society will condemn it.<\/p>\n

Research confirms what I witnessed. A research finding from Nartey et al. (2024) reveals that even
though the Ghanaian society has progressed and improved the well-being of women, gender
inequalities persist due to cultural gender norms that favor men and subordinate women.<\/p>\n

But one thing I understand and cherish deeply as a Christian woman, and now a mother, is that we
were all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, we are equal in dignity, but not
created to live identical lives. Our bodies and emotions were made differently, but that doesn\u2019t
make us less of a human.<\/p>\n

It only means we function differently, possess different strengths, live different stories, and these differences should be embraced- not belittled or erased. And this is where I have come to see the difference between equality and equity. <\/p>\n

Equality treats everyone the same, regardless of their needs. Equity, however, recognizes those needs and
provides what each person requires to thrive. For example, equity says pregnant women need
special care and accommodation if they are to flourish. Equality says pregnant women should be
treated like everyone else, which will not be fair. In a world still fighting for justice, equity, not
equality, is what will take us further.<\/p>\n

Why Equity Matters for Both Women and Men<\/strong><\/p>\n

Additional Ghanaian studies show that women continue to be underrepresented in leadership,
politics, and decision-making. However, men also face constraints, being pressured to \u201cman up,\u201d
discouraged from showing vulnerability, and ridiculed for being tender. Equality alone cannot
break these rigid barriers; instead, equity can.<\/p>\n

As we passionately push for empowerment, I worry that men might be overlooked. I fear a future
where my son cannot speak freely without fear of censorship, or where he is targeted just for being
a man. If we raise men with resentment, they will try to undo the progress we\u2019ve achieved. Equity
guarantees that no one, whether woman or man, girl or boy, is left behind.<\/p>\n

Equity means teaching boys to cry without shame, to clean up after themselves, and to respect
boundaries. It means reminding girls that their voices matter. It means designing schools, workplaces, and churches that accommodate pregnant women, people with disabilities, and anyone disadvantaged by circumstance.<\/p>\n

To the Gatekeepers<\/strong><\/p>\n

This change requires all of us.<\/p>\n