A new voice for Christian women

Newly launched Indian Christian Women’s Movement to work towards gender sensitization and gender justice in Church and society

By Team FI
A new organization for Christian women, the Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM) was launched in Bangalore two weeks ago. According to the office bearers of the ICWM, the creation of a common body of Christian Women in India was the outcome of a conference held in Bangalore, this month, to discuss “Paradigm Shifts in Vatican II and it Impact on Women”.

The press note issued by ICWM states its vision as to create “a sisterhood of solidarity across boundaries to change unjust beliefs, practices and structures that perpetuate patriarchy and accentuate the exploitation of women at various levels.”

Objectives:
1. To be an advocacy group that can speak out with one united voice against violence, for the protection of the rights and dignity of women in civil and ecclesial structures.
2. To promote capacity-building for women’s social, cultural, political and ecclesial leadership.
3. To partner with existing Christian women’s organisations in order to create a joint perspective on gender justice and feminist theologizing, strategies for ecological restoration and social transformation, and large scale campaigns of resistance against policies and power games that lead to the diminishment, humiliation and even death for women.
4. To support justice issues of dalits, tribals and other subaltern, marginalized groups, even to the point to providing emergency services in terms of ideas, referrals, protests, solutions, finance, legal helps, shelter, etc. in times of need.
5. To establish a bridge between women’s organisations and Church organisations as well as interfaith initiatives.

To achieve our objectives we will:
1. Work towards gender sensitization and gender justice in Church and society.
2. Reclaim the mystical prophetism of women
3. Study and research issues of women’s oppression
4. Engage in on-going communication among ourselves,
5. Celebrate and promote women’s contributions a achievements,
6. Create resources for women’s empowerment and spaces for women to freely express themselves.

MEMBERSHIP:
Any Christian woman who shares our vision can become a member. Membership fee is Rs.50/- per year. Each region will conduct a membership drive. Men are accepted as associate members.
For membership the person named in the region can be contacted or the Secretariat at the email address: icwmjan14(at)gmail.com