International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is Monday, March 8. Why have such a day? Despite all of the differences among women worldwide and the fact that men struggle internationally as well, there remain some sobering norms about women that are worth considering, norms that give insight for why women internationally might benefit from a day of attention.

Did you know that around a third of women internationally have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner? While women’s acceptance internationally of being beaten by their partners has decreased over the last seven years, laws addressing such violence are still not universally available. About one-fourth of the world’s nations still have no laws prohibiting violence against women.

Did you know that in this pandemic, twice as many moms as dads report ongoing depression related to a change in circumstances? And four times as many women as men lost or left jobs in September last year.

Here’s an odd statistic that hints that there may be a great deal more going on internationally than meets the eye that is NOT in women’s favor. In a study of 45,000 crash victims over 11 years, the University of Virginia found that women are 47% more likely to suffer serious injuries in car crashes. Why? Because safety features such as the position of head restraints in relation to seat position are designed for men.

Many folks who are concerned about such statistics wonder if the Bible too is biased against women. How do we answer that question in our own heart? As Christians, or those maybe even just considering belief in the God of the Bible, we wonder, can I trust God as a woman? Can my sister who has been harmed trust God? Can I submit to Scripture as a woman? Can the Jesus who uplifted God’s word, even the hard parts of the Old Testament, be trusted with my own concerns today?

Or maybe concerns over women’s rights internationally, or even locally, are not on your own personal radar. Maybe you are even suspicious of such concerns. Consider then that they likely are on the radar of someone you know and love. How do you answer questions of those you love? Do you dismiss their questions? Do you deride them for having the questions? If so, I encourage you to instead respect their questions. In my experience, they come from a place of genuine hurt and concern.

I have wrestled with these questions for myself. I have great confidence now that the God of the Bible can be trusted with every last concern I have as a woman. He can be trusted with my body. He can be trusted with my spirit. He can be trusted with my soul.

{I model how I’ve wrestled with these things in this post on a difficult passage from Numbers 5.}

If you’d like to read more of a defense of the goodness and trustworthiness of Scripture, Is the Bible Good for Women? Seeking Clarity and Confidence through a Jesus-centered Understanding of Scripture is on sale for $1.99 in honor of International Women’s Day. I hope it will aid you and/or someone you love with confidence in the God of the Bible and His revelation of Himself to us all through the Scriptures. He loves His daughters, and He is very good.

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On Monday, International Women’s Day, I will be hosting a live event through Intervarsity Press to encourage weary sisters in these long, hard days. If you’d like to come, you can preregister here.