There’s a pattern that repeats itself across centuries and continents: when women are devalued, societies begin to crumble from within.

Scripture tells us plainly that both men and women are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Not just reflections of God’s creativity, but bearers of His likeness—equal in dignity, purpose, and worth. And yet, time and again, human systems warp that sacred truth. We forget. We ignore. We institutionalize inequality. And we all suffer for it.

When women are not seen as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), when their voices are silenced, their gifts overlooked, and their safety dismissed, we create gaps in the fabric of our communities that cannot be mended by power or policy alone. The wounds go deeper. They ripple outward.

One tragic and often overlooked example is what happens in places where women are severely devalued—where their presence is hidden, their rights are stripped, and their humanity dismissed. In some areas of Afghanistan, for instance, young boys are subjected to horrific abuse under the practice of bacha bazi—a form of exploitation that flourishes in part because women are considered too “impure” or “less than” to form relational intimacy or partnership. Where women are dishonored, everyone becomes more vulnerable to harm, especially the smallest and most voiceless among us.

This isn’t just a cultural issue. It’s a theological one.

The way a society treats women reveals its view of God.

It tells us whether we believe that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). It shows whether our faith is performative or transformative. Whether we’re only interested in preserving power or actually pursuing the kingdom of God—which has always lifted the lowly, dignified the disregarded, and honored the overlooked.

So we must ask ourselves:

• Are we protecting women—not just from physical harm, but from erasure?
• Are we creating opportunities for women to lead, teach, speak, and serve?
• Are we making room for the voices and stories of women in our pulpits, boardrooms, and homes?
• Are we honoring their full humanity with the same vigor we use to defend doctrine?

Jesus did. Again and again, He broke social norms to elevate women—speaking with them publicly, healing them tenderly, receiving their ministry, defending their worth. He invited them into the story, not as side characters, but as central witnesses to resurrection, redemption, and the radical new kingdom He was ushering in.

If we want to measure the godliness of a nation, a church, or a home, let’s not just look at how much Scripture is quoted or how loud the worship music plays.

Let’s look at how women are treated.

Because the holiness of a people is most often revealed in how they care for those who are smaller, softer, or historically cast aside—not just women, but children, the elderly, the poor, the disabled, the marginalized.

May we be the kind of believers who don’t just nod along to justice and equality, but embody it. May we be bold enough to reflect the image of a Savior who chose the path of humility, lifted the ones the world dismissed, and called all of us—male and female—His own.