wfn.org | LWI 2009-072 Asian Women Seek Structures That Ensure Visible Inclusion in the LWF

["LWFNews" <LWFNews@lutheranworld.org>]

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Asian Women Seek Structures That Ensure Visible Inclusion in the

LWF

Call to Empower Women’s Response to Climate Change, Poverty
and Human Trafficking 

BANGKOK; Thailand/GENEVA, 8 December 2009 (LWI) - Women
delegates attending the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Asian
region Pre-Assembly Consultation (APAC) commended the LWF's
far-reaching advocacy for marginalized groups in church and
society, but called for urgent changes to structures and
traditions that further perpetuate exclusion.

"Making women visible is the first step in reducing their
vulnerability," said Ms Dora R. Hemalatha, when she presented the
women's perspectives on the keynote address by LWF vice president
Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan. The presentation by the bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELJHL)
focused on "daily bread as a holy call to justice" in the Asian
context.

Among other issues in his keynote address, the ELCJHL bishop
called the church to take a strong stand "against the
feminization of hunger by educating, empowering and enabling
women for full membership in all spheres of society."

The keynote address, said Hemalatha, highlighted how the church
could work against hunger and related issues, but it would "be
strengthened by adding ways in which women in the church in
particular can be empowered to overcome these challenges." The
women's response underlined the need to provide opportunities
"for women to participate, speak, act and take a lead in their
own churches starting from the grassroots level."

Cultural, traditional and social restrictions often mean that
women are more affected by hunger and poverty than men, reported
Hemalatha, women's secretary at the Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC)
in India. "Women are deprived of their status in church and
society," she added. 

"During hard times, the women are the first to give something
up: With less food to go around, it is invariably the woman who
gives up her food to feed the family," Hemalatha said. This
situation also has an impact on women's health, she noted, citing
the example of India, where more than 50 percent of women are
anemic. "Out of 15 women giving birth, eight deliver premature
babies with a low birth weight," said the ALC women's leader.

>Objects of Entertainment

The Asian region women also pointed out the need for the church
to become more involved in efforts to counter human trafficking,
of which a majority of the victims are women and girls.
"Trafficking of girls is at an all time high. Women are being
portrayed as objects of entertainment, bonded labor, slave trade
and feudalism. Men feel that women [have an obligation] to bring
money to the family to support the family needs. We should
especially talk about how churches can help women to change this
situation." 

On climate change, the APAC women delegates emphasized that the
"impact of our energy-hungry lifestyles are affecting people
across the world." They said Dalit and Adivasi (tribal) women
were among the most affected as they lack the capacity to deal
with climate change.

While the women welcomed Younan's invitation to Asian churches
to join the 13 December "bell ringing" to support the global
climate change campaign, they urged more serious action beyond
this important symbolic expression of solidarity. "What should we
do to change people's life styles in a context in which women and
children are the victims of this social issue? What as a church
is our response to this alarming issue?" they asked. (See
invitation to the ecumenical "bell ringing" initiative on the LWF
Web site at: www.lutheranworld.org )

The women delegates said there were some LWF member churches
that still did not recognize women's ordination. "We believe that
women bring an essential perspective to all types of ministry -
ordained and lay - in an increasingly fractured and fractious
world," they stated in their response.

"We strongly protest that just doing things to fulfill the
policy of the LWF and not giving [a] chance to work in their
respective places is not just. For example, just giving women
ordination and not giving them a real chance in the churches to
obtain higher positions in the church council and equal status in
the church like the male pastors," said Hemalatha on behalf of
the women delegates attending the APAC. 

The pre-assembly participants continue deliberations in small
group discussions on climate change, human trafficking, and
diakonia reaction to exclusion and religious diapraxis. (722
words)

More information about the LWF Council actions on human
trafficking is available on the LWF Web site at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2450.EN.html 

Highlights about the work of the LWF desk for Women in Church
and Society can be found at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DMD/DMD-WICAS.html 

>*      *      *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF
currently has 140 member churches in 79 countries all over the
world, with a total membership of 68.9 million. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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