What is the role and mission of a woman in the family? #

The primary role of a woman was defined by God in Eden: to be a helper.

“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.”
— Genesis 2:18

This divine purpose was disrupted by the Fall. As a result, God imposed a punishment on the woman for her correction: to be subject to her husband and to bear children in pain. This arrangement was meant not only to correct the woman herself but also to guide the man. Called to be a helper, a woman should not seek to dominate her husband. She is to be an example of love, humility, and modesty. These qualities have always inspired men across ages and nations. Through her gentleness, she can pacify uncontrollable anger and wield influence over those before whom nations tremble. On the one hand, she is equal to man in many respects, yet she stands slightly apart, beside him. While she may lack the strength to confront formidable adversaries directly, her insight enables her to provide wise counsel to her husband, helping him shoulder the responsibilities of being the head of the family.

Moreover, a woman is the bearer of new life. While the male principle is seen as the giver of life, it is incomplete without the female principle to nurture and sustain it. It is no coincidence that Adam named his wife Eve, meaning “life”:

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”
— Genesis 3:20

The strongest love and deepest attachment in any person’s life are typically directed toward their mother. It is the mother who shapes the child’s personality by spending more time with them, telling them stories, singing lullabies, and instilling the values and virtues prized by their culture and people.

This is why the proverb says:

“If you want to destroy a nation, corrupt its women.”

If you can shift the consciousness of women in a specific direction, there is no need for military campaigns to subjugate an adversary. A woman who refuses to bear and raise children deprives her people of a future. If a mother fails to pass down traditions, tell stories, convey her culture’s moral code, and nurture faith in God, instead entrusting her child to unknown influences, what we call the “soul” of a people—their moral foundation, uniqueness, and identity—will quickly disappear.

True maternal love exemplifies self-sacrificial love, serving as an enduring model for everyone who has experienced it.

— Priest Evgeny Gureev.