16

PRIORITIES OF WOMEN'S CONCERN IN THE ASIA/PACIFIC

The Workshop on the priorities of women's concerns in the Asia/Pacific concluded that women are an integral part of the society as they comprise more than 50% of the population. But, the irony is that women are still excluded from the main stream of life. In Asia, there is a strong evidence of male oppression. The participants felt that the main causes of this was the patriarchal system, which maintained and perpetuated its own life by conditioning men, women and children to believe in and perpetuate inequality. The home, school, church, society and unconscious people are the agents that willingly or unconsciously subscribe to this conditioning. Suppression of Women's rights can also be found in the Church. They noted that women are not ordained as Elders and Priests. It is true that the Christian theology and Biblical perspective of women's role in the church and society has been overshadowed by the bias towards male domination, and constant perpetuation of the situation through social systems, social values and attitudes. What needs to be changed, is the male-female attitude towards recognising each other as a part and parcel of the 'ONE' body and mind and not as superior and inferior, as strong and weak but as equal partners in the struggle to improve the conditions of women through their mutual efforts and persistent sharing.

17

The recommendations made by this group appears at the end of this report in Appendix 'Statement of concerns and convictions'.