I read a story about a remarkable campaign run by five sisters in the mid-13th century BCE. This happened at a time when women were almost literally invisible in society.
Their message was simple – give us equal rights to inherit land just like men!
Indeed, all five of them not only gained the right to inherit lands, but they also paved the way for other women and girls to have the same access. These sisters are Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad.
What was special about their campaign?
1. They stood up and spoke out!
The first action they took to change this landmark history was that they were tired of the status quo, and so, they stood up and spoke out! …They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying… (Numbers 27:2).
2. They spoke truth to power!
They were not just murmuring and protesting in the camp; they came in front of the powers that be—Moses, Eleazar the priest, the princes, and all the congregation. They came …to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation… The Supreme Court of their day. (Numbers 27:2).
As I read, I couldn’t help but wonder at what was going inside them as they presented their request. Did their knees buckle? Were there butterflies fluttering in their tummy? Were their palms and feet sweaty? Were their voices shaky? Did they stammer as they spoke?
3. They ran an effective storytelling campaign!
They employed effective storytelling in their campaign, centering their father’s integrity as a hook. They spoke to Moses and their community leaders – …our father died in the wilderness… he died in his own sin, and had no sons… …why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? (Numbers 27:3).
In my mind, I can imagine what they were not saying – “should the investment our father made in us go to waste just because of our gender?”
4. They had an influencer that amplified their campaign
…Moses brought their cause before the Lord – the judge of the universe. God, being a God of justice who abhors inequality, spoke unto Moses, saying, …the daughters of Zelophehad speak right… (Numbers 27:5-6).
5. They moved from policy brief to law enforcement
They converted the lead. The constitution of their time was re-written straight off …give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them… (Numbers 27:7-11).
Unfortunately, women in some parts of the world still don’t have the right to land inheritance. That’s a topic for another day!
As we mark another #InternationalWomensDay, this campaign run by Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah has given me content to muse on…
Happy #IWD2025 to every woman out there!
Written by
Ryta Abiodun
Good morning ma and happy international women’s day. I’ve gone through this and sadly it didn’t portray what really happened in the Bible days, neither does it reflect the motive of those noble women, nor does their actions align with the clamour of women for equal right today. First because their concern was not for equal right. Their purpose was not to compete with men but to inherit their father’s property in the absence of a son. Neither did the result align with the hope of women today. They didn’t get the so called equal right. The property still went to their husbands and not them. It doesn’t do mankind any service to bend truths out of their meaning. Particularly Biblical truths. Thanks ma.