PHA-Exchange> Religion and women

[Claudio]

RELIGION AND WOMEN: AN AGENDA FOR CHANGE
[A declaration approved unanimously by the participants at the meeting of Women and Religions in a Globalized World: Conversations to Advance Gender Equity, convened by the Peace Council and The Center for Health and Social Policy in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 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 committed 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 evident 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 employed.

·                    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 suffering of women: 

·                    They have made women invisible by denying them religious education and excluding them from decision-making .  

·                    They have been silent when patriarchal systems have legitimated 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 abortion, and discrimination against sexual minorities. 

·                    They have not recognized the conscience and moral agency of women, especially in relation to their sexuality and reproductive 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 resource for the overall development of our understanding of religion.  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 sensitivity 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 oppose 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 sexuality 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 consciences 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 advancing 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 traditions 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.                                                                         

11-608-241-2209 Fax                                              

www.peacecouncil.org                                          

 

The Center for Health and Social Policy

847 25th Avenue

Madison, WI 53704, US

1-415-386-1535 Fax

www.chsp.org

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