wfn.org | Stated Clerk's Letter to the Church

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

5-March-1997 
97113 
 
               Stated Clerk's Letter to the Church  
       on the "Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action" 
 
                 by the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick 
 
[Editor's note: After last summer's General Assembly directed its stated 
clerk, the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, to communicate its resolution on the 
"Beijing Declaration" and "Platform for Action" to all Presbyterian 
congregations, the Presbyterian News Service agreed to provide space for 
Kirkpatrick's letter and that resolution in "NEWS BRIEFS." -- Jerry L. Van 
Marter] 
 
March 4, 1997 
 
To:  Pastors of Churches and/or Clerks of Sessions 
 
The 208th General Assembly (1996) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 
meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on June 29-July 6, 1996, received 
communications from the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns (ACWC) to 
reaffirm the past work of United Nations Conferences regarding women and to 
affirm the "Beijing Declaration" and "Platform for Action."  The "Platform 
for Action" is a consensus document adopted by the 189 nations that 
participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) in Beijing, 
China, in September 1995.  The United States, as a participating nation, 
made commitments both in principle and in the provision of resources for 
implementation of the "Platform for Action" at this conference. 
 
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a long tradition of supporting and 
participating in United Nations global efforts for the advancement of the 
status of women and the girl child since 1976.  Following the Third United 
Nations Conference on Women in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985, the 198th General 
Assembly (1986) adopted a resolution for the church's meaningful 
participation in the implementation of the "Forward-Looking Strategies for 
the Advancement of Women."  The 208th General Assembly (1996) reaffirmed 
the past work of the United Nations for gender equality and commended for 
serious study and action the "Beijing Declaration" and "Platform for 
Action."  The resolution approved at the 1996 General Assembly reaffirms 
the church's ongoing commitment to gender equality according to the 
liberating and transforming gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is therefore most 
consistent that the 208th General Assembly (1996) voted to adopt the 
Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns' recommendations and directed that 
I communicate this resolution to you and urge your support for 
implementation of the "Platform for Action." 
 
The resolution encourages congregations to become active participants in 
the process of implementation of the "Platform for Action" by: 
 
     a.   organizing a group to study Ephesians 4 (diversity of gifts) and 
the "Beijing Declaration" and "Platform for Action" and make their own list 
of priority activities that address particular areas of concern in their 
communities; 
 
     b.     organizing a youth awareness group, encouraging youth, 
especially girls and young women, to learn about their rights and discuss 
their vision of and for women; 
 
     c.   addressing issues of personnel policies, including pay equity, 
child care, family/medical leave, termination of employment for their women 
employees, particularly those who are nonexempt and part-time; 
 
     d.   assessing the city government and school system on gender 
sensitivity, and working to develop an action strategy to address the 
results of the assessment; 
 
     e.   calling and writing the White House, offering insight as to the 
priorities of their members; 
 
     f.   urging Senators of the United States of America to vote for the 
ratification of the U.N.  Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination 
Against Women and the Rights of the Child; 
 
     g.   reaching out to immigrant-refugee women who often suffer from 
cultural and social isolation and economic exploitation, and developing 
programs for their empowerment, including literacy training; 
 
     h.   observing the "Celebrating the Gifts of Women Sunday" on the 
Sunday that is closest to March 8, International Women's Day, and 
continuing the celebration throughout Women's History Month through worship 
and other programs; 
 
     i.   encouraging men to embrace the global vision contained in the 
"Platform for Action" and to become partners in bringing about its global 
vision of equality for all; 
 
     j.   intentionally including women in all decision-making processes, 
and taking positive measures to promote leadership skills among women and 
girl children; and 
 
     k.   studying theological dimensions, cultural manifestations and 
political dynamics of violence against women in our communities and society 
using programs and resources on violence against women and by actively 
engaging in the church's program on violence against women through 
participation in the GAC Initiative on Societal Violence, especially during 
the month of October, which is the Domestic Violence month. 
 
Congregations are encouraged to assess their situations and to use these 
ideas appropriately to fit their own contexts. 
 
The full "Platform for Action" can be obtained from the World Wide Web 
meeting, WWW.UNDP.ORG/FCWC/DAW1.HTM of the NGO Resource Center, 801 U.N. 
Plaza, New York, NY 10017, (212) 963-7234.  Additional resources, including 
a summary of the "Platform for Action," can be obtained from the 
Presbyterian U.N. Office, (212) 697-4568, and the Office of Women's 
Advocacy, (502) 569-5403.  The full report of the Advocacy Committee for 
Women's Concern on the FWCW is available from the Office of Women's 
Advocacy. 
 
Cordially yours, 
 
Clifton Kirkpatrick 
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly 

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