Through our Baptismal Covenant, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all persons and strive for justice and peace ... respecting the dignity of every human being. The third Millennium Development Goal calls us to Promote gender equality and empower women.
Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment of a series of columns by deacons of the diocese addressing the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
By Deacon Sandy Jamieson
Through our Baptismal Covenant, we are called to:
“. . . seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself”
“. . . strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” (Book of Common Prayer)
This is the challenge that is echoed in the third Millennium Development Goal, that calls us to “Promote gender equality and empower women.”
It has been nearly 160 years since the first women’s rights convention was held, calling for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women here in the United States. While we still struggle for the rights of women and minorities, we have come a long way by the world’s standards. This may blind us to the needs of the women of the world.
The following statistics give a clearer picture of the status of women and girls in developing and third world countries:
- Of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty in the world, 70 percent are women. (Source: World Revolution)
- Women do 66 percent of the world’s work in return for less than 5 percent of its income (Source: Women’s International Network).
- In the least developed countries, nearly twice as many women over the age of 15 cannot read compared to men (Source: UNFPA).
- Women work two-third’s of the world’s working hours, produce half the world’s food, and yet earn only 10 percent of the world’s income and own only 1 percent of the world’s property (Source: World Development Indicators, 1997, Womankind Worldwide).
From the very beginning of their lives, females in some Third World countries have a much lower survival rate due to neglect and discrimination. In addition, because of discrimination, education expenses and family duties, girls are more likely to drop out of school.
The best way to end discrimination and improve the lives of women and their families is to promote gender equality. However, in the light of these staggering statistics, it is difficult to see what difference just one person can make.
Mother Teresa was once asked how she was able to pick up more than 50,000 ill and dying people from the streets of Calcutta. She answered by saying that she began by picking up just one person at a time.
We can begin by changing the world, one person at a time. This is what we are called to do through the promises made at our baptism. This is what Christ is calling us to do in His name. This is the purpose of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation.
How do we start? We begin with prayer. We can pray by ourselves and form prayer groups to pray with and for women in developing countries. We can educate ourselves about the lives and condition of women in third world. Most importantly, we can donate 0.7 percent of our income.
Using 0.7 percent of our income can make a life-saving, life-changing difference for one girl, one woman. How much is 0.7 percent? For an income of $75,000, it is $525. Not a lot by the world’s standards, but that amount can make such a difference. It would fund a year’s schooling for two girls in the Dominican Republic. Given to the Episcopal Relief and Development fund, this amount would be enough to make three $150 “mirco-credit loans” to women in Third World countries. This loan program allows women to start their own business and provide a better life for themselves and their family. This is what one person can do, one person at a time with 0.7 percent.
There is an excellent resource available from the Office of Women’s Ministries called “Called to Speak.” This book outlines six strategies that can be used by interfaith communities to encourage women’s political activism and leadership. In addition, listed below are several other resources:
These resources offer useful information that can be shared with our congregations.
Throughout His ministry, Christ was politically incorrect. He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well and changed her life. He was friends with Martha and Mary, enriching both their lives. He valued women and made a difference in their lives. Through our baptism, we are called to do the same.
