A woman’s usefulness is her only badge of honour and achievement even today

BY STEVEN KASZAB

The gaming industry has introduced a dual-sword female warrior, a samurai in the successful game Ghost of Tsushima followed up with the game Ghost of Yotei.  A vocal backlash on-line about the introduction of the female samurai has risen with her inclusion as a fighter. Were there female samurai in the past and present time?

I admire strong women, people who do not stand by as evil besets their land. If there is a wrong that needs to be righted, a strong woman needs to be present. Women have within themselves a moral code, perhaps present because women are the caretakers of the motherhood of humanity. They care for the innocent, those in need, often have an open heart and mind to deal with challenges often left behind by their male counterparts. Men cannot understand “motherhood” just as many men still deal with the challenges of what “fatherhood” can mean to them and society.

Samurai were battle hardened, sword-wielding warriors who protected their Shogun, their leaders and acted often as police within their societies. Often mid-ranked members of the court samurai were judged by their fidelity to their masters, often acting as their masters’ muscle, military officers, and protectors. Did females receive training in the martial arts and become samurai? Yes, they did. While males would often be sent off to battle, or a police action, women samurai stayed within the community, or their compound protecting the lives and property of their elders. Their status and income were of course no way near that of accomplished male samurai, but their reputation as exceptional warriors was acknowledged by all.

In a male chauvinistic society such as ancient Japan females were considered property, gentile and worked as labourers. Female samurai faced all the sexual and social prejudices many women still face today, with the ideal of equality not even found upon the battlefield. A simple slight felt by a male samurai could be the excuse needed to end a woman’s life. The only way a female samurai can excel was through loyalty and martial arts excellence. The better the soldier, the more outstanding she is, will make, or break her future evolution within Japanese closed society. Japanese women were allowed to achieve the four social classes of advancement, even above those of the: farmer, artisan, or merchant. Again, loyalty and professionalism made them useful and standout for their male superiors.

Seems the treatment of women in ancient times has been passed down to present day society. A woman’s usefulness is her only badge of honor and achievement even today.