I did not disrespect women - Duncan-Williams

The Founder and General Overseer of the Christian Action Faith Ministries, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has denied being a male chauvinist – someone who believes the female gender is inferior to the male gender.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams came under intense verbal attacks last week after he admonished women in a sermon not to “misbehave” in their marriages.

“It’s a privilege to be married. It’s a privilege in the time we live in when it’s seven women to one man.

“Sister when you get married, be thankful and stop misbehaving because it’s seven to one. It doesn’t matter how pretty and beautiful and intelligent you are; until a man proposes to you, you are going to stay beautiful, pretty, intelligent, nice and whatever, and rotten,” he said.

The comments triggered a flurry of criticism from the public, with many women, especially, accusing the Archbishop of disrespecting them by suggesting that a woman’s happiness lay with a man.

But speaking on Accra-based Joy FM Monday, Archbishop Duncan-Williams denied disrespecting women, stressing that he did not hold the view that women are inferior to men.

Noting that he had daughters of his own, the charismatic preacher said his sermon was based on a Bible verse- Isaiah 4 verse 1 – which he said prophesied that in the last days the ration of women to men would be 7:1.

(Isaiah 4 v 1: “In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace.")

The verse, Archbishop Duncan-Williams, said meant that for every seven women who were ready to marry, there would be only one man available for them.

He said based on that, he merely advised married women not to do anything that would jeopardise their relationships with their husbands because marriage, in the last days, had become a privilege.

“I am not a chauvinist. In the statements I made, I was talking about Isaiah 4 where 7 women would cry for 1 man. In some parts of America it’s about 1 to 10. I was just telling women that those who were married were blessed and should be thankful. It is a privilege to be married and not an entitlement. I admonished the men and told them to appreciate what they had. It’s not something for the future, it’s here,” he said.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams added that in the sermon, he extended a similar advice to men, asking them to be of good behaviour so as to preserve their marriages. 

Related: Divorce is not easy and simple as you think - Duncan-Williams