Asianlayleaders – International Women’s Day (IWD) in 2023 has passed already but we need to remember it in the light of empowerment for women. It is quite right for ALL Forum to remind the empowerment of women because its partner organizations have more female member than men, quantitatively speaking. On the other hand, qualitatively speaking, ALL Forum has focused on whenever there is a chance. For example, it has just finished the Moving School in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on March 25-30, whose theme was “Women, Great Spirits, and Intercultural Citizenship Empowering Harmony between IP and Urban Communities for the Sustainable Future in Asia.” It means ALL Forum sees women or femininity in a strategical approach to dealing with ecological crisis and violence predominant all over the world.
Let’s talk a little bit more about the history of IWD here first. It originated from the movement of women workers in the US in 1911. But it takes it’s roots from the gender equality protests in New York in 1908, calling for better pay, working conditions and the right to vote. At that time 150,000 American workers crossed the streets of New York. This is how the large-scale women’s protest, which was difficult to find in history, began. The date March 8 was unanimously accepted at the International Conference of Working Women in 1910 and in 1975, the date was formally adopted by the United Nations. The day has become a day to celebrate and commemorate how many things women have fought and won in society, economy, and politics.
It is not unusual to hear that there seems little equality among the clergy and laypeople, and even among laypeople themselves meaning women lay faithfuls are most discriminated in the church in nearly all of parishes in many countries in Asia including Korea. Recently, a local Catholic weekly news paper in Korea held a round-table among women lay leaders in the country. The following is my understanding and paraphrase of their voices worth being shared here as they have many things which seem experienced by lots of women in the world churches.
All the panel speakers agreed that there are always “restrictions” when women try to do something in church. The reason they suggested is because those in the leadership of the Korean church are less interested in realizing gender equality within the church or do not consider it important. It is true that there has been no news about the changes in the Korean church comparing to the reforms of the Holy See. They said that was pity, questioning how many cases of female laity in our Korean church hold high positions in the church. Just as lay women hold high-ranking positions in the Holy See, the practical meaning of reform will also be visible to laypeople especially women if it becomes visible that lay women are entrusted with the main responsibilities of like for example, serious positions of diocesan offices or bishops’ committees and others.
In Korea, they noted that some young women are studying theology, and some are going to study abroad. It should be a pastoral effort to be made that the church can do to open the room for these women to be active in the church. But it is reality that although the Korean church is large in terms of Catholic population and wealth, there is no single research center to discuss women’s issues. We need an organization that will continue discussions related to women in any form. Women who will work in research institutes must also be systematically nurtured and their activities supported.
They see that the younger generation in their 20s and 30s feels discrimination sensitively. However, this is not shared within the church. The younger generation will open up about their experiences if they feel it is a safe place to have a
conversation, but if they find it uncomfortable to talk about it, they will shut up or leave in search of another safe space. On the other hand, women in their 60s and older are majority of the church and already accustomed to the church’s
discriminatory culture against women and activities based on gender roles, but have kept in silence other than acting on the problem. What is makes worse is the clericalism or clergy-centered culture in parishes and dioceses. Many priests look favorably on ‘female volunteers who silently and obediently do their job’. This conservative attitude of priests may act as an atmosphere that prevents them from having a critical mind.
I believe that the experiences and thoughts of the women panel speakers at the roundtable could also represent many women in the other chuches in the world. If true, how could Catholic church commemorate and celebrate IWD or any events related to women? One of urgent things for the church to solve is to change its attitude toward women and their roles to play. It’s now or never!*
By Dr. Paul Hwang (Director ALL Forum)