This is Women’s Equality Day.

Many years ago in the United States (and even today in many countries), women didn’t enjoy many of the rights that men had. They couldn’t own property, vote, or have certain jobs. They were almost treated like property. Some couples were sad when their new baby turned out to be a girl. That’s hard to believe, but it’s true.

That’s wrong, of course. Girls and women should have the same rights and opportunities as boys and men, including being paid the same amount for the same kind of work. Because of this, many people protested and worked hard to make the appropriate changes. And, eventually, laws and customs were changed.

Some people seem to think that equality means being the same. But that’s not true. Men and women are equally valuable, but they’re definitely different. The Bible makes this very clear. God created male and female—two distinctly different types of people. Both were special creations of God, made in his image, but they were different. We’re still different.

We can see the obvious physical differences between men and women. Women can have babies and men can’t. But through research scientists are finding even more fascinating differences between the genders; the way male and female brains work, for example. God built in differences that aren’t easy to see, but are important, and help men and women to complement each other. One sex is not better than the other.

So celebrate the differences and the way God made you. And, while you’re at it, respect the opposite sex—they’re special to God, too.

He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human” (Genesis 5:2).

To Do

Take some time and analyze your mom and dad. Write down how they are the same and how they’re different. Be sure to note how they think and feel. Then consider how you are becoming like them. How do you feel about that?

Also on this day . . .

1498—Michelangelo was commissioned to sculpt the Pieta, his famous statue showing Mary holding Jesus’ body after the crucifixion.

1873—The school board of St. Louis, Missouri authorized the first public kindergarten in the United States.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).