[afro-nets] Religion And Women: An Agenda For Change

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Religion And Women: An Agenda For Change
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[A declaration approved unanimously by the participants at the
meeting of Women and Religions in a Globalized World: Conversa-
tions to Advance Gender Equity, convened by the Peace Council
and The Center for Health and Social Policy in Chiang Mai, Thai-
land, from February 29-March 3, 2004].

(Excerpts)

Preamble
We, the participants in this conference on women and religion,
recognize that contemporary realities have tragic consequences
for women's lives. Without a commitment to women's human rights
and to the resolution of these tragedies, religions are failing
the world. Their own relevance is at stake as they become more
and more isolated from the values and needs of their members.

It is urgent that religions address these realities. Religions
must be consonant with the cultural evolution in which we are
all immersed. Religions must no longer tolerate violence against
women. Women are alienated from religions that do. We are com-
mitted to working towards change, and we call on others, women
and men, to join in this task.


I. WOMEN AND GLOBALIZATION: PROBLEM AND PROMISE

Globalized capitalism has reduced everything to a commodity and
everyone to a consumer and commodity. Nowhere is this more evi-
dent than in the lives of women:

* Women's and children's bodies are commodified, especially in
sexual trafficking.

* Increasingly HIV and AIDS have a woman's face.

* Women and children disproportionately populate the camps of
refugees and displaced persons.

* Women make up the greater proportion of exploited laborers.

* Pressures of the globalized economy have led to even greater
violence against women and children.

Globalization, however, also bears the promise and possibilities
of advancing women's human rights and well-being:

* More women in more places can be gainfully and justly em-
ployed.

* Information technology can enable women throughout the world
to share strategies, successes, and hope.


II. WOMEN AND RELIGIONS: PROBLEM AND PROMISE

Religions inspire and empower us to compassion and justice.

Religions, however, have not always been at their best. They
have collaborated with dehumanizing values of cultural, economic
and political powers. Thus they have contributed to the suffer-
ing of women:

* They have made women invisible by denying them religious edu-
cation and excluding them from decision-making .

* They have been silent when patriarchal systems have legiti-
mated the violence, abuse, and exploitation of women by men.

* This silence has been deafening in the face of such atrocities
as rape, incest, female genital mutilation, sex selective abor-
tion, and discrimination against sexual minorities.

* They have not recognized the conscience and moral agency of
women, especially in relation to their sexuality and reproduc-
tive decisions.

But religions can and must do better. They must reclaim their
core values of justice, dignity, and compassion and apply these
values to women. We reached consensus that:

A. Within the religions, women's religious literacy should be
recognized and fostered. Women are:

* Students: Providing women with religious education is critical
in transforming religion. Women who seek religious education
should be welcomed.

* Scholars: Women as religious scholars are an essential re-
source for the overall development of our understanding of re-
ligion. It should be promoted.

* Teachers: Male religious leaders and students have much to
gain from exposure to women teachers of religion. Unless we work
to change men, the ability of religions to progress in sensitiv-
ity to women is impossible.

* Leaders: Women are prepared to be decision-makers in their
communities, and should be used to the fullest extent.


B. Within the world:

* Religions should apply their message of peace in order to op-
pose the daily reality of violence in family and society.

* Women are subjects, not objects, in their own lives. The right
to choose any role, including motherhood, should be supported
socially, economically, and politically.

* Religions should apply the message of social justice to women.
The world's religions play a leadership role in seeking social
justice, in the environment, against racism, and for the poor.
But religions have been largely silent in response to critical
issues of women's human rights, in the family and in the work
place.

* This is nowhere more evident than in the area of women's sexu-
ality and reproductive health. Given the moral concern about
abortion and the range of stances toward it, the view of any
particular religious tradition should not be imposed on the con-
sciences of others. Decriminalization of abortion is a minimal
response to this reality and a reasonable means of protecting
the life and health of women at risk.

Conclusion

The religious traditions and the aspirations of women are not in
opposition. We are not enemies. On the contrary, we share the
same commitment to human dignity, social justice, and human
rights for all.

We therefore commit ourselves and call on other women and other
religious leaders to reach out to each other to enhance mutual
understanding. This can be done on the regional level and at the
national level to define concrete, joint activities toward ad-
vancing women's human rights and well-being.

We came together as women and men to explore how the positive
powers of religion could be engaged to advance the well-being of
women. Indeed, we believe that when women and religious tradi-
tions collaborate, a powerful force for advancing women's human
rights and leadership will be created.

This statement was unanimously endorsed by all the participants
on March 3, 2004.


SECRETARIAT OFFICES

International Committee for the Peace Council
2702 International Lane, Suite 108
San Francisco, CA 94121, U.S.A.
Fax: +1-608-241-2209
http://www.peacecouncil.org

The Center for Health and Social Policy
847 25th Avenue
Madison, WI 53704, USA
Fax: +1-415-386-1535
http://www.chsp.org