Asian Women Seek Structures That Ensure Visible Inclusion in the LWF‏

Women delegates attending the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Asian region Pre-Assembly Consultation (APAC) commended the LWF'sfar-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 "best rengthened 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 churchesto 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 ofthe 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.

*** There are certain reports that human trafficking especially women and girls in cargo ships to Papua New Guinea. If these reports are true, Papua New Guinea authorities should take a tougher stance on how to deal with this issue. If nothing is done, it poses a threat to the security of our nation. Hope someone is taking note of this situation as we speak.