Asia Consultation, Women’s Leadership, an Approach to Gender and Power

“God created humankind in the God’s image

In the image of God he created them

Male and female he created them” Genesis -1:27

 

To develop the understanding of the concept of gender as a theological concept in all member churches of Lutheran World Federation (LWF), WICAS (women’s desk) planned consultations addressing the theme “Women’s leadership-an approach to Gender and Power”.

In Asia region consultation there were 45 male and female participants. This meeting was planned in Hong Kong, China from 27 august to 01 September 2009.The given theme “Women’s leadership-an approach to Gender and Power” provide the basis for thoughts, discussion and sharing from the relevant resource persons and the participants. It was proved as a very good platform to have open discussion about the gender challenges, issues and gender analysis.

                                                   This planned meeting motivated for affirmative practices of participatory leadership and provides an analysis of where the communion stands on the ordination of women, utilizing the leadership of women and adhering the participation of women, youth and men in efforts to be an inclusive communion.

 

Programme Overview

28^th August ‘09:

Bible study-by Bishop Dr Nicholas Tai

• Psalm-51:15

Session 1: Looking to the context –Women’s Leadership and Gender Analysis in Asian Context-     by Rev Lee ching-chi

• Gender Challenges-The challenges of women are the same in Hong Kong as in other parts of Asia.
• Women do their work very well. They contribute a lot in the church but are not given chance to play an active role in decision making bodies.
• In Hong Kong, the Church Council members are normally old men. Nor women neither youths are elected to be its member.
• “We don’t love power but we have the power to be loved”

Session 2: Looking into the social, cultural, political and economical context-Women Leadership and Gender Challenges in Asian region-byMs Jocelyn Cajiuat

• Issues in Asia:
  • Economic crisis of
  • Women trafficked into forced labour
  • Migration
  • Violence against women
  • Prevalence of HIV & AIDS
  • Girl child predicament
  • Commercialized women image
  • Responses and actions for the issues
    • Establishment of International working bodies
    • Millenium Development Goal
    • Gender Analysis

                        “I don’t wish women to have power over men but over themselves”

Women Leadership and approach to Gender and Power-by Ms Geeta Pradhan

• “There are very few Women Leadership because of resistance to Women “says Geeta Pradhan
• Gender Challenges in the Social and Economic context.
• Women Empowerment can be by:
  • Representation of women in every level of the Church Council
  • Encouraging Women to come over the cultural norms.
  • Social and religious institutions should support independence of women

 

Group discussion:

It provided a space to all the participants to share and discuss the contextual challenges which the women are coming across in their life.

 

29^th August ’09:

Bible study-by Lip Tet Thomas

• 1^st Samuel -25 : 2-35
• Abigail keeps David from killing innocent people
• Abigail is mikk leader
• “She is mikk but not weak”

 

Session 1-Gender and equality-by Tsion Alemaychu

• Brief discussion in:
  • Gender Equality
  • Gender Equity
  • Gender Analysis
  • When women are supported and empowered then all the society benefits
  • What LWF has been doing for Gender and Equality

 

Theological reflection on Gender and Power-by Elaine Neuenfeldt

• First of all we need to have an conceptual idea regarding Gender and Power
• “Gender is not only a women’s issue. It need to be discussed also with men “says Elaine

 

Session2-Theological reflection in Gender and Power-by Dr. Au kin Ming

• Why Gender and Power have to come together?

The definition of gender is made by the one who have power.

• Connection between gender and power.
• Ways to overcome Gender as a problem:
  • Change dualistic thinking pattern.
  • When the world is a holistic place, we cannot be discrete we need to connect.
  • We are in relation, relation is very important.

       “Brokenness is Sin”

 

Theological reflection in Gender and Power-by Dr. Wu Lo Sia

• Challenges of women in church
• Need to set Goals:
  • Introducing Feminist theology
  • Making Gender as an agenda

 

30^th August ‘09

Experiences from the region :Gender and HIV,leadership,ordained ministry- by Dr Prafulla Parmarth, Rev .Josephine Tso,Dr Kung Lap Yan

• Gender perspective on HIV
• HIV in Hong Kong
• HIV in India
• Reasons behind the pandemic
• HIV infected persons
• Churches’ responses
• Theological reflection

 

31^st August ‘09

Gender Justice in the church challenges and practical implications for an inclusive communion.

• Inputs from WESALUC, NEALUC, SEALUC.

Conclusion

The priority of the discussion was on practical implications for an inclusive communion, gender analysis and an holistic approach when gender tools can be used in a wider conceptual and practical tools in HIV context, understanding of ministry, communion and pastoral practices.

 

Helga Thomas

JELC (Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church)

India

CHILD MARRIAGE IN INDIA

The origin of child marriages may be found in the Muslim invasions that began more than 1,000 years ago. Legend says that the invaders raped unmarried Hindu girls or carried them off as booty, prompting Hindu communities to marry off their daughters almost from birth to protect them. Today, these invaders have been replaced by superstition: the local view that any girl reaching puberty without getting married will fall prey to sexual depredations, some from men imbued with the common belief that having sex with a “fresh” girl can cure syphilis, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS.

In India, children are forced everyday into a relationship, of which they have only the faintest knowledge and for which they are not at all prepared. To push two physiologically and emotionally ill-prepared individuals into marriage is a compassionless way of looking at relationships. India’s Parliament adopted the Child Marriage Restraint Act in 1978 (a revision of the British Child Marriage Prevention Act of 1929 and the following amendment of 1949) setting 18 as the minimum age for women to get married and 21 for men. Nevertheless, like in many other Indian social spheres, the law seems inconsequential when it comes to protecting the rights of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society.

Women and girls are the main victims of child marriages. Sati is a Hindu practice which consists of the widow’s immolation on her dead husband  funeral pyre. Women are seen as property with ownership rights to someone else, her parents, her husband or her in-laws. In some cases, husbands sell their wives, even their unmarried daughters, as sexual partners to other men.

Religion plays a key role in such harmful traditions and practices. The society in turn, instead of playing a watchdog role, is an enthusiastic participant in a deliberate perpetuation of entrenched interests, including property and social considerations, all which make child marriages so common.

 

Though INDIA has entered into the 21st century and aims to be a developed nation by 2020, some parts of India are still grey and caught up in the old, ill and conservative traditions that have already played enough havoc with the society.

 

Despite the so-called stringent laws, Indians still come across dreadful and fearful stories of children being forced to tie the nuptial knots even when their body and mind are not ready for marital relations.

 

Child marriage is still prevalent in India. One such gory incident recently came to the fore in a remote village of Kathua district, in Jammu and Kashmir (J & K), where a 10-year-old girl of class IV was ‘sold’ to a man three times of her age. More shocking was the revelation that the girl, who stayed put at her father’s house soon after the illegal marriage, was even raped by her ‘husband’.

      As some of the villagers had objected to the marriage of the girl child at a young age, it was decided that she would stay with her parents till she attains marriageable age.But her husband, Rinku, who reportedly had ‘purchased’ the girl-child, wanted to take her to his house in Bandota village.Miffed at being denied to take the girl-child, Rinku visited her parental house and raped her in a nearby field.

According to “National Plan of Action for Children 2005,” (published by the Department of Women and Child Development of India) a goal has been set to eliminate child marriage completely by 2010. This plan is proving to be successful, though it is still difficult to monitor every child due to the sheer population of India.

According to UNICEF’s “State of the World’s Children-2009” report, 47% of India’s women aged 20-24 were married before the legal age of 18, with 56% in rural area The report also showed that 40% of the world’s child marriages occur in India.

 

 

OBSERVING “WORLD AIDS DAY”.

Hey everyone!!!

Greetings to you all from all the energetic youths of J.E.L.C (Jeypore evangelical Lutheran church).

This is to inform you all about the awesome activities and the zeal of the youths, how we all observed World AIDS Day. I’ m very thankful to LWF and specially Roger for his encouragement and support, due to which all the youths are staying connected to each other and with the church, boosted to work for the welfare of the society and are committed towards the goal for creating awareness regarding HIV/AIDS. Here all the youths have joined hand to act in a coordinated manner to fight against the spread of the pandemic.

As we all know we just have to talk AIDS to stop AIDS. The louder we speak, the lesser will be the danger. While, it is true that youth is power and power is youth, so we voluntarily started acting to enable others around us to see in a right perspective.

30th November was a Sunday, during the service time we tried to spread the knowledge of AIDS among maximum people by giving them red ribbon” the sign of solidarity for those living with HIV/AIDS and a sign of hope to overcome.”

giving 'Red Ribbon'

Had signature campaign, and disturbed booklet containing info.  about HIV/AIDS.

Rev.Ujwal Satman joining the Signature Campaign.

On 1st December in the morning we went to a nearby village called ‘dhepguda’.were we gathered the villagers and performed the street theatre and tried our best to educate them about some basic knowledge.

street theatre

In the evening we performed a concert which attracted many people and there we tried to create awareness and spread the knowledge aboutHIV/AIDS. It was a grand sucess.There we presented the special worship order prepared by Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance,which was heart touching for all the audience.Some Government Officers were so impressed by our work that they have promised us to give their full support in our upcoming activities in the coming days. our youths also attracted the media people to write about us in the newspaper. So this was how we started working.

Please do pray for the youths.

music concert

presenting special worship prepared by Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance

Communal Conflict in Orissa

September 15, 2008 by helgathomas

Concerning to my previous blog, one of the most pathetic and tragic issue in India is the communal violence. Now this violence has flared up in my state Orissa, engulfing around 16 districts mainly to the tribal dominated districts.  This is not originally a mere communal violence but if we do a proper analysis the real cause is poverty, deprivation and bad governance in the state.

 

 

 

On 23rd August 2008, a VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) Leader Swami Lakshamananda Saraswati was shot dead by some Maoists.  Which triggered a wave of violence across the state, claimed its first casualty during the 12 hours Orissa Bandh when a woman inmate of a missionary orphanage was burnt alive in Bargarh district.  Report said more 5 persons were also burnt alive in Kandhamal district.  Several parts of the state were already on the boil, violence escalated in parts of Kandhamal as the religious fundamentalists ( VHP, RSS-Rastriya Swayam Sangh, Bajrang Dal ) targeted the minorities ( Christian Community ).

 

 

 

Wrath fundamentalists attacked many churches, prayer houses, missionary institutions, orphanages and set them into fire.  Many Christian families were also attacked by the fundamentalist.  A woman whimpered to media, “My son was slain and my daughter was raped in front of me”.  The holy of holies was burned and trampled assaulting the Christians.  As violence-engulfed village after village in the strife-torn Kandhamal about 6000 families fled to forests seeking shelter.  A large number of villagers including pregnant women, children took shelter in nearby jungles to escape attacks.  They had to struggle in the dark forest without any proper shelter and food for days long.  Now many are taking shelter in the relief camps.  Incidence of arson and group clash kept pouring in while many people so far have been killed in the violence.

 

 

ATROCITY AGAINST CHRISTIANS.

 

        

 

 Demands of VHP-

 

To abolish religion conversion.

To ban slaughtering of Cow.

 

 

Official report of  Kandhamal violence:16 districts are affected,148 cases have been registered , 194 are arrested, total 4014 houses are burnt, 37 churches have been torched,96 panchayat and 255 villages are  affected,6246 family are still left stranded,20260 people affected,26 died and 120 Govt. and Non Govt. Organization were attacked.

 

(The above report presents the official data but the actual and accurate figure is much more than this.)

 

Even as violence started to abate in riot hit Kandhamal, communal hatred spread its wings to southern Orissa to my hometown, Jeypore, where a dispute between students in Vikram Dev College,( where I am persuading my Bachelor’s Degree) gave rise to a violence which  soon flared up.  Indefinite curfew was clamped in the town.  At least 36 persons were injured. 19 churches, prayer houses were torched and 45 houses were vandalized.  Five dozen vehicles were damaged and all the roads to Jeypore were blocked at several points due to which additional force could not reach on time.

 

 

 

Heavy brick-bating ensued and town police station was attacked.  I witnessed about 300 Christians standing bravely in front of about 5000 irate mobs to protect the church and their families.  Then the situated was brought control after paramilitary forces reached the spot and conducted flag march.

 

 

 

Now when I am still trying to finish my blog, violence is still prevailing and today 5 churches were set ablaze and 30 families were attacked in Kandhamal district.

 

 

 

Miracles are happening around.  In place called Joppapudur a place near Jeypore a church was destroyed all members ran for life to nearby jungles and prayed.  A big light was seen from heaven on the church and the whole village witnessed this sight and they could feel the presence of Holy Ghost.  This fact assures us that God is with his people and trusting him, the Christian mass do standing firms together possess a heart of reconciliation and compassion.

 

 

 

As per my knowledge goes most of the real Hindus, who have liberal views are condemning these kind of action by the religious fundamentalist and do not subscribe to the view of VHP, RSS, Bajrang Dal.

 

 

 

 

 

Communal Conflict in Orissa

Concerning to my previous blog, one of the most pathetic and tragic issue in India is the communal violence. Now this violence has flared up in my state Orissa, engulfing around 16 districts mainly to the tribal dominated districts.  This is not originally a mere communal violence but if we do a proper analysis the real cause is poverty, deprivation and bad governance in the state.

 

On 23^rd August 2008, a VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) Leader Swami Lakshamananda Saraswati was shot dead by some Maoists.  Which triggered a wave of violence across the state, claimed its first casualty during the 12 hours Orissa Bandh when a woman inmate of a missionary orphanage was burnt alive in Bargarh district.  Report said more 5 persons were also burnt alive in Kandhamal district.  Several parts of the state were already on the boil, violence escalated in parts of Kandhamal as the religious fundamentalists ( VHP, RSS-Rastriya Swayam Sangh, Bajrang Dal ) targeted the minorities ( Christian Community ).

 

Wrath fundamentalists attacked many churches, prayer houses, missionary institutions, orphanages and set them into fire.  Many Christian families were also attacked by the fundamentalist.  A woman whimpered to media, “My son was slain and my daughter was raped in front of me”.  The holy of holies was burned and trampled assaulting the Christians.  As violence-engulfed village after village in the strife-torn Kandhamal about 6000 families fled to forests seeking shelter.  A large number of villagers including pregnant women, children took shelter in nearby jungles to escape attacks.  They had to struggle in the dark forest without any proper shelter and food for days long.  Now many are taking shelter in the relief camps.  Incidence of arson and group clash kept pouring in while many people so far have been killed in the violence.

ATROCITY AGAINST CHRISTIANS.

        

 Demands of VHP-

• To abolish religion conversion.
• To ban slaughtering of Cow.

 

Official report of  Kandhamal violence:16 districts are affected,148 cases have been registered , 194 are arrested, total 4014 houses are burnt, 37 churches have been torched,96 panchayat and 255 villages are  affected,6246 family are still left stranded,20260 people affected,26 died and 120 Govt. and Non Govt. Organization were attacked.

(The above report presents the official data but the actual and accurate figure is much more than this.)

 

Even as violence started to abate in riot hit Kandhamal, communal hatred spread its wings to southern Orissa to my hometown, Jeypore, where a dispute between students in Vikram Dev College,( where I am persuading my Bachelor’s Degree) gave rise to a violence which  soon flared up.  Indefinite curfew was clamped in the town.  At least 36 persons were injured. 19 churches, prayer houses were torched and 45 houses were vandalized.  Five dozen vehicles were damaged and all the roads to Jeypore were blocked at several points due to which additional force could not reach on time.

 

Heavy brick-bating ensued and town police station was attacked.  I witnessed about 300 Christians standing bravely in front of about 5000 irate mobs to protect the church and their families.  Then the situated was brought control after paramilitary forces reached the spot and conducted flag march.

 

Now when I am still trying to finish my blog, violence is still prevailing and today 5 churches were set ablaze and 30 families were attacked in Kandhamal district.

 

Miracles are happening around.  In place called Joppapudur a place near Jeypore a church was destroyed all members ran for life to nearby jungles and prayed.  A big light was seen from heaven on the church and the whole village witnessed this sight and they could feel the presence of Holy Ghost.  This fact assures us that God is with his people and trusting him, the Christian mass do standing firms together possess a heart of reconciliation and compassion.

 

As per my knowledge goes most of the real Hindus, who have liberal views are condemning these kind of action by the religious fundamentalist and do not subscribe to the view of VHP, RSS, Bajrang Dal.

 

Youths in my Church.

Hey everyone! this is helga thomas.i live in a place,jeypore.This blog is to tell you about the youths in my church.I come from the Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church,situated in the southern part of the state, Orissa ,in India.Youths in my church play a very dramatic role.The youth programs are conducted in accordance with the present world scenario.Issues like Environmental crisis,Health concerns,Communal violence,Equal Rights,Sports and Music are being taken heed now.

Even though my town is located in the poorest district of India,still then the youths are well connected with the present world through education, media and church.Youths are well educated, well connected via internet,electronic devices,etc.The church plays a leading role in updating the youths by conducting seminars and workshops on various burning issues.The youths follow-up with new strategies and they implement it on their own life.In recent times we had programs on Environmental and Health issues.As a follow-up, me and our youths went around the church  to clean the vicinity and planted new saplings.In the same manner,after a workshop on HIV/AIDS,many of our youths went around the jeypore town in rally to increase awareness in fighting against HIV/AIDS and the prevalent prejudices.

HIV/AIDS Rally by my church youths.

Communal violence is one of the most pathetic and tragic issue in my country since India is a land of different religions,cultures,dialogues and faith.India known as the land of spirituality and philosophy, was the birthplace of some religions, which even exist today in the world.There are many tragic communal incidents which distract the harmony in our society.Our Youths partake in campaigns to protest against it and they even move to the victimised places as volunteers to reinstate the life of the people living there.

Sports and Music is the greatest passion of our youths in church.The youths are very much skilled players and also very talented musicians.The youth mass has a football team called the Christian Youth Association Football Club( C.Y.A FC).The team has won many titles and some of the players have represented in the state and national level.Every now and then,the youths organise day and  flood-light tournaments in Cricket,Football,Volleyball and Badminton.

In the field of music,our youths play a melodic role in the church as well as in different other programs.The church has the only brass band in Orissa called the Jeypore Brass Group.The group has a collaboration with a German Church.The Church Choir has 30-40 members with musical accompaniments in guitars,keyboard and drums.The Choir travel to many towns and villages to spread the Good News of Christ through their music.

church choir

There are many other stuffs to share with you all, about me and my society,which i will post in my upcoming blogs.Hope you enjoyed reading my first blog and had a perception about the life of youths in my church.

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