Role of Mothers

Apart from bringing forth children, a mother has also to cater for their emotional welfare. She plays a vital role in helping a child learn about love and affection -- lessons that may be just as important as the satisfaction of his physical needs. In order to develop into a well-balanced adult, a child needs a warm, secure environment while growing up. Here again, a mother's role is crucial. so, whatever else a woman might do, this is her primary function in society. Besides looking after her children, the mother is often their principal teacher. It is mainly the mother or grandmother who patiently teaches the child to speak, to walk and to do household chores and countless other things. Little wonder then that one's language the world over is referred to as one's 'mother tongue' rather than 'father tongue'.

Today more women than ever have to work outside the home to help support their families. Millions of women work on the land, or care for livestock. This labour, usually underpaid or unpaid, feeds half the world.

In the western world, most women leave home daily to work in offices, schools and factories. Many of them, are indeed getting into oppositions, although they are still outnumbered by men at this level. Although, they generally earn less than men, simply because they are women, they nonetheless provide very essential services that keep many factories and institutions running. Indeed, as many countries of the world, most nurses, midwives that keep many factories and institutions running. Indeed, as many countries of the world, most nurses, midwives, doctors and teachers are women. One of the greatest gifts that women can give their families is compassion. When a family member falls sick, the mother takes on the role of a nurse, while still shouldering all her other responsibilities. A woman's compassion may even motivate her to eat less herself so that her children do not go without food. Researchers have found that some women consider their food intake as sufficient even though they are malnourished. They are so accustomed to giving the larger share to their husbands and children that as long as they can still work, they consider themselves adequately fed.

Sometimes, a woman's compassion is expressed in her concern for the local environment. That environment matters to her, since she also suffers when drought, desertification and deforestation impoverish the land.

Perhaps because of her biological role as provider of succour and compassion, a woman is hardly ever a soldier. However, if need be, she can take up arms to save her children and her community. And when a woman does that, oh, she can be terrible. The Dahomey warriors who tormented the ancient Egba for ages were women in arms. However, it is perhaps best to save women the abominable role of killers and reserve them for what they are best at: bringing forth and bringing up the young ones.