Indima Ethuthukisiwe Yabesifazane—Ingabe Isibusiso Esinezici Ezimbi?

“SEBEBONKE, abesifazane abaseminyakeni yamashumi ayisishiyagalombili banemfundo engcono, impilo engcono, futhi baphila isikhathi eside, ukuphila okunenjongo.” Ngalawomazwi umagazini waphetha isihloko sawo esithi: “Indlela Esasiyiyo; Indlela Esiyiyo Manje.” Kodwa kungaba yini ukuthi indima ethuthukisiwe yabesifazane ngempela iye yaba isibusiso esinezici ezimbi ngenxa yemiphumela yayo eseceleni?

Umphumela Emshadweni Nasemkhayeni

Ngokwesibonelo, kunokungezwani okuvamile phakathi kokuphila okuhle komkhaya nokufuna ukusebenza. Omunye umbiko wathi: “Abesifazane abayizikhulu bavame ukuhluleka kakhulu ukwenza ukuphila kwasemakhaya abo kuze kuqala kunozakwabo besilisa, futhi bavame ukudivoswa.” Ungase uzibuze ukuthi kungani. Uprofesa wokuphatha imisebenzi e Yunivesithi yoMbuso yaseCalifornia uyachaza: “Abesilisa babheka ikhaya njengesimiso sokubasekela, kuyilapho abesifazane belibheka njengomthwalo. Indoda ifika ekhaya iphumule; yilokho ebikusebenzela. Kodwa kwabesifazane limelela umsebenzi owengeziwe.”

Lokhu akwenzeki nje kwabayizikhulu kuphela. Abesifazane baseRashiya sebenesikhathi esingangesesizukulwane besebenza ngaphezu kwabesifazane abasemazweni aseNtshonalanga. Basakuthola kuwumthwalo ukusebenza futhi benakekele umkhaya. Umbhali waseRashiya weWorking Woman uthi: “Abesifazane bayinhliziyo yomkhaya futhi kumelwe bafudumale ukuze bakhe umoya wokufudumala nothando.” Ngakho babhekana nomthwalo okabili, lapho amadoda amaningi ehluleka ukuhlanganyela emisebenzini yasekhaya.

Enye imbangela yokungezwani iboniswa omunye wabesifazane abaphumelela kakhulu wakuWall Street. Uyaqhosha: “Kimina umsebenzi uwukuzijabulisa,” futhi uyanezela, “Ngiyakuthanda engikwenzayo, futhi kuncane kakhulu ukuzidela engikwenzayo”—ngisho nangomkhaya wakhe. Inhlala-kahle yawo incike kumyeni wakhe onakekela izingane zabo ezimbili, nakuba engusomabhizinisi. Abangane bakhe bachaza isithakazelo sakhe esinamandla ‘njengesingesihle neze ebuhlotsheni bomkhaya.’

Kungokufanayo nangomunye wondunankulu banamuhla. Umkhaya wakhe awuzange ukuthole ukunakekelwa okwanele ngenxa yokuvelela kwakhe kwezombangazwe. Ngesikhathi izingane zakhe zisakhula, zazivame ukuhlala emzini ka malume wazo ngoba, siyatshelwa, “enye yezinto ezazithandwa [yizo] kakhulu kwakungukuhlala phansi njengomkhaya ngezikhathi zokudla, into okwakungelula neze ukuyilungiselela” ekhaya.

Ekuhlolweni kwamuva kwabesifazane abane baseYurophu abayizikhulu, omunye waveza ukuthi indodakazi yakhe eneminyaka eyi-12 yayikhuliswa cishe ngumyeni wakhe kuphela. Esinye isikhulu saphawula ukuthi kungezimpela-sonto kuphela lapho sasiphumelela khona ukunakekela abantwana baso. Ngokwemibiko yezindaba, abantu baphawula ukuthi abathathu balaba besifazane babethambekele ekuntuleni umzwelo wobuntu.

Yebo, abanye abesifazane banemisebenzi yokuziphilisa ngenxa yesidingo esikhulu, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi indoda yafa noma yawushiya umkhaya. Khona-ke ngalaba besifazane, ukuphumelela kwabo ekutholeni umsebenzi kungase kube isibusiso ngokwengxenye, kodwa noma kunjalo, kumelwe babhekane nezimo ezimbi.

Imiphumela Emibi

Ukuthi indima eguquliwe yabesifazane ibiyisibusiso esinezici ezimbi kusobala ngenxa yomphumela ovamile lapho abafazi bedlula abayeni babo ngeholo noma ngomsebenzi ophakeme. Ngokwezazi zokwelapha, lesisimo “siba yisici esibi kakhulu nesiqashelwayo emishadweni eminingi.” Nasi isikhalo esiyisibonelo sendoda ethile: “Ngiyazi ukuthi ngokwengqondo ngiyayijabulela impumelelo yakhe. Kodwa ngokwemizwelo angithokozi. Ngizizwa ngilahlwa. Futhi nginomuzwa wecala ngoba ngikhathazeke kakhulu.” Uma umbhangqwana ongamaKristu kumelwe usebenze, ingxoxo yothando nokucabangelana kungasiza ekunciphiseni imizwa enjalo emibi kanye nemiphumela.—1 Petru 4:8.

Esinye isici esibonisa ukuthi intuthuko eyenziwa abesifazane iyisibusiso esinezici ezimbi ukugcizeiela okwenziwa abalweli bamalungelo abesifazane kulokho ngokuyinhloko okuyinzuzo yabo. IThe Coming Matriarchy ikhomba esikhathini lapho umhlaba uyophathwa khona ngabesifazane abanobugovu futhi ababuza ukuthi, “Ngizozuzani mina ngakho?” Ngokuthakazelisayo, owesifazane ongumphathi wezimali ophumelelayo okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili wakubeka nje ngaleyondlela; wayengenaso isithakazelo sokusiza abanye bathuthuke ngaphandle uma ezozuza ngakho. Wavuma: Ngaso sonke isikhathi ngifuna ukuzuza.” Kuhlakaniphe kangakanani lokho, uma sicabangela iseluleko sikaJesu? ENtshumayelweni yaseNtabeni wathi: “Ngaso sonke isikhathi kumelwe niphathe abanye abantu ngendlela eningathanda ukuba baniphathe ngayo;” “Ningakhathazeki ngengomuso, ngokuba ingomuso iyakukhathalela okwayo.” (Mathewu 7:12, American Translation; 6:34) Ngokuqinisekile, abesifazane abangamaKristu balwela ukugcina umbono kaJesu ezindabeni ezinjalo.

Ukuziphatha OkungokweBhayibheli Kuwusizo?

Akungabazeki ukuthi isimo esibi kakhulu sendima eguquliwe yabesifazane siwukushintsha kwezindinganiso zokuziphatha. Ukubhekisela kwabalweli bamalungelo abesifazane kuNkulunkulu asenkolweni kuyethukela futhi ngokuvamile kuyagxekwa. Ngokuvamile abesifazane ababekela umshado isikhathi esizayo ngenxa yemisebenzi yabo bakholelwa ukuthi ukushada akudingekile ngaphambi kobuhlobo bobulili.

Isenzo esibi kakhulu senhlangano yabalweli bamalungelo abesifazane siwukusekela kwabo ongqingili besifazane. Ngo-1971 umhlangano waminyaka yonke weNOW ([National Organization of Women]; Inhlangano Yesizwe Yabesifazane) wathi: “Ukuthi iNOW iyakuqaphela ukucindezeleka okukabili kwabesifazane abangongqingili, Ukuthi ilungelo lowesifazane kuyena siqu lihlanganisa ilungelo lokuchaza nokuphawula ngokuphathelene nobulili bakhe nokukhetha indlela yakhe yokuphila, Ukuthi iNOW iyakuvuma ukucindezeleka kongqingili besifazane njengokukhathazeka okungokomthetho kwabalweli bamalungelo abesifazane.” Nokho, qhathanisa ne sahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu kwabaseRoma 1:26, 27. Ngokuvamile ukusekela ukukhishwa kwezisu lapho kufunwa kuhambelana ncimishi nombono wabalweli bamalungelo abesifazane. UProfesa wezomthetho weYunivesithi yaseTulane uBillups Percy wathi: “Ukuqaphela ukubulawa kombungu njengenye nje inqubo yokuhlinza kuwukungayinaki imithetho emelene nobugebengu, isayensi yezenkolo kanye nefilosofi yokuziphatha osekunamakhulu eminyaka.”

Omunye umbiko uthi eshumini elithile leminyaka elidlule ubugebengu obukhulu babesifazane buye bakhula ngokushesha ngaphezu kobabesilisa. Phakathi kuka-1974 no-1979, isibalo sabesifazane ababoshelwa umgunyathi eUnited States sakhula cishe ngamaphesenti angama-50, kodwa sakhula ngamaphesenti ayi-13 kuphela kwabesilisa. Ngokufanayo ukukhwabanisa kuye kwakhula cishe ngamaphesenti angama-50 kwabesifazane kodwa ngamaphesenti ayi-1,5 kuphela kwabesilisa. Inani labesifazane ababoshelwa ukukhohlisa lenyuka ngamaphesenti angama-27,7 kodwa ngamaphesenti angaphansi kwayi-10 kwabesilisa. Ngokusobala indima eguquliwe yabesifazane ayiphumelanga ekwanelisekeni okugcwele.

Ukusetshenziswa kukagwayi nakho kuye kwanda kakhulu phakathi kwabesifazane. Umdlavuza wamaphaphu obangelwa ukubhema uthatha indawo yomdlavuza wamabele njengembangela engungqa phambili yababulawa umdlavuza phakathi kwabesifazane. Ngomunye unyaka muva nje yabangela ukufa kwabangamaphesenti angama-25 abo bonke ababulawa umdlavuza phakathi kwabesifazane futhi ikhulela esilinganisweni samaphesenti ayi-7 unyaka ngamunye.

Ikusasa Elanelisayo—Kanjani?

Ingabe umsebenzi ungabanika abesifazane abaningi ukwaneliseka okuphelele ekuphileni? Kubonakala kungenjalo, njengoba abaningi ngokwandayo bethola kanjalo. UHilary Cosell, umlobi wethi: Woman on a Seesaw: The Ups and Downs of Making It, wethula lenkinga esihlokweni, ebuza: “Uma esikhathini esingaphambili abesifazane benza iphutha ngasohlangothini lomshado nolobumama kanye nolobufazi, kungenzeka yini futhi ukuthi benza iphutha ngasohlangotni lwemfundo, lomsebenzi nolwempumelelo?” Uyabuza futhi: “Ingabe singakwenza yini konke okwenziwa omama bethu, nakho konke okwenziwa obaba bethu?”

Ngokufanayo, kuyiThe Cost of Living, uMegan Marshall waveza ukuthi “isici sokuba sesikhundleni esiphakeme sicashise izinto eziningi ezimbi: ukuwohloka kwezinqumo zothando, ubufebe obungenakuzithiba, ukuhlanganyela emkhubeni wongqingili, ukukhipha izisu, idivosi nokungashadi okuqondile.” Ukhuluma ngendlela inhlangano yabesifazane eyanikeza ngayo “Inganekwane Yokuzibusa,” kodwa lokhu akusebenzi kwabaningi.

UMarshall uphetha ngokuthi “kumelwe sikholelwe othandweni olungapheli oluvikelwa umshado omuhle,” ukuthi “umuntu akanakuphila ngaphandle kwabanye abantu,” nokuthi “kumelwe sithole esizobanakekela, nabazosinakekela.” Lokhu kusikhumbuza amazwi oMfundisi omkhulu kunabo bonke abake baba khona emhlabeni, uJesu Kristu. “Kubusisekile ukupha kunokwamukela.”—IzEnzo 20:35.

Yiqiniso, abantu bathambekele ekweqiseni. Ukuthi indima ethuthukisiwe yabesifazane banamuhla ayisona isibusiso esingenazo izici ezimbi kugcizelela amazwi omprofethi uJeremiya: “Akukuyo indoda ukuba ihambe, iqondise izinyathelo zayo.” (Jeremiya 10:23) Ngokwazi kwabesifazane abangamaKristu ushintsho olwenzekile (kanye nezibusiso nezinkinga ezihambisana nalo), angase bakwazise kangcono ukubaluleka okulandela iseluleko sikaNkulunkulu. Okuhlangenwe nakho kuye kwabonisa ukuthi ‘sinxanelekile kunegolide.’ ‘Ukusigcina kunomvuzo omkhulu.’—IHubo 19:7-11.