Empowering Women and Girls: Ending Poverty

by Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko
General Secretary, The Lutheran World Federation

Women and girls are disproportionately represented among the world’s poorest, as a consequence of persistent inequality of opportunity - particularly educational and occupational opportunities. Any approach to poverty that fails to offer empowerment to women and girls in order to redress those imbalances cannot succeed against the entrenched realities of economic exclusion. This is a fundamental matter of justice and ethics, based upon recognition of the human dignity of all people regardless of gender. It is also a matter of practical necessity, since gender exclusion deprives society of the creative and productive potential of the female half of the population. Poverty is a challenge against which all the resources of society should be mobilized. Poverty - the most ancient enemy of human dignity - can be defeated, but not without the full engagement of women and girls. In facing this challenge together regardless of gender, a new just relationship between women and men can be achieved.

But deep cultural obstacles, including certain religious practices, stand in the way of this objective. In my culture, a cow is killed for a man’s funeral, while a woman warrants only a goat. Even linguistically, in many different languages, the word for woman has a subsidiary, diminutive or inferior connotation. And language is deeply tied to cultural and religious practices. It is essential that such fundamental cultural issues – in which power relationships in society are truly rooted - be addressed, and that our languages and cultures be purged of prejudice. In pursuing this objective, religious leaders and communities must look to their own practices, interpretations and expressions that contribute to the exclusion of women, and hence to the perpetuation of poverty. This is not just a matter for ‘traditional’ communities. I am aware that in some church parishes, a woman pastor is implicitly considered of lesser value, in some instances only being called to serve if a male pastor is not available or if parish finances are not able to cover the costs of a ‘proper’ (i.e. male) pastor. Since none of our religious traditions is completely free of such cultural prejudices, there is a common challenge – an inter-faith challenge – to be faced in removing obstacles to the empowerment of women and girls, for the good and for the wellness of the whole society.

Geneva, February 2008

 

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