wfn.org | Women's research project in Kenya receives 2008 Sylvia Michel Prize

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> World Alliance of Reformed Churches
> News Release
> 25 November 2008

Women's research project in Kenya receives 2008 Sylvia Michel Prize

Researchers studying the exclusion of women from the ordained ministry of a Kenyan church have won the 2008 Sylvia Michel Prize for Women in Leadership.

The U.S. 5,000 prize was established to honour the first president of the Reformed Church of Aargau in Switzerland and is administered by the women presidents of the Reformed Cantonal Churches in Switzerland and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).

It will be awarded to the Research Project on Women's Ordination in Kenya on 9 March 2009 in the Canton of Argovia. The project was one of 32 applicants for the international prize reviewed by the jury earlier this month.

The project is headed by two professors, Esther Mombo and Dorcas Chebet Wamalwa, who with their students are studying discrimination against women in the Reformed Church of East Africa and ultimately attempting to amend the churchâ??s constitutional rule that only men are permitted to serve as ordained  ministers.

"This is a sustainable project of great symbolic value which has the ambitious goal of transforming the constitution of the Reformed Church of East Africa in favour of equal dignity between women and men," said Claudia Bandixen, president of the Church of Aargau, who spoke on behalf of the prize jury.

Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, executive secretary of WARC's Office for Church Renewal, Justice and Partnership, said it was significant that the Sylvia Michel Prize is being announced on the International Day for Eradication of Violence Against Women.

"The Sylvia Michel Prize for Women in Leadership is a commitment of Reformed churches to support and accompany women in their struggle for gender justice and equality," Sheerattan-Bisnauth said.

"Women's inequality is a key factor in the increase of violence against women and many of the social ills in society. Human rights abuses are being carried out daily in horrific ways. Women are systematically raped, abducted, forcefully displaced and murdered.

"On this International Day for Eradication of Violence Against Women, WARC calls upon churches to stand firm with women, advocate for womenâ??s human rights in all areas of life and to speak out against gender based violence, economic injustice, HIV and AIDS, war and conflicts."

> ***

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) brings together 75 million Reformed Christians in 214 churches in 107 countries - united in their commitment to making a difference in a troubled world. The WARC general secretary is Rev. Dr. Setri Nyomi of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. WARC's secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland.

> Contact:
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> Executive Secretary, Communications
> World Alliance of Reformed Churches
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