"Very good"... not until women are at the table

A couple of weeks ago we heard at the Covid Inquiry that a lack of female perspective at the heart of government had a significant and negative impact on policies implemented during that time. Helen MacNamara, former deputy cabinet secretary pointed to resistance within government to consider the gendered impact of the lockdown, including women and children experiencing domestic violence, childcare, unpaid carer roles and the impact on pregnant women's experience of maternity care.

Many of the findings of the inquiry have been difficult to hear but they aren't surprising. When women's voices are not represented or listened to, the result is inequity between the sexes and women usually bearing the brunt of it. It is interesting to discover that globally, when women are in positions of government and influence, outcomes for all are improved, including healthcare, education and policies relating to inequality of all kinds. Governmental decision making is improved when women are at the table and I would say that this is exactly as God intended it.

We don't need to read far into the Bible to see Gods blueprint for government. All of creation was designed to work in harmony and at peace with one another. God said "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over...[every living creature].. so God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (v26-27). God is fully expressed in the combination of male and female and it was to both that he made the command to fill and subdue the earth. He made everything "good" however his "very good" was reserved for the implementation of his plan, men and women alongside each other in governance over the world he created.

It therefore really should come as no surprise to hear that a lack of female voices and representation in the halls of decision makers would lead to poorer outcomes in all spheres.  Only a third of management positions or MPs are women in the UK, despite comprising nearly half of the workforce and more than half of the population. It has never been more important for women to step into positions of influence. With humanitarian crises happening both at home and abroad, women play a vital role in ensuring the needs of the poor and oppressed are met.

We are told to pray for our leaders, but all the time the image of God is not fully expressed at those tables, those decisions will never fully meet the needs of all of God's children. Pray for local government leaders, but pray for more women to step up and recognise the call on their lives and answer the echo from Genesis to make government "very good" and "uphold the cause of the poor and orphan" (Psalm 82:3).



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