29.05.2015
Christian Aid Workshop Highlights Gender Justice Issues
Gender, gender based violence and development was the subject of a challenging and fascinating workshop organised by Christian Aid in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute yesterday (May 28). Christian Aid is currently looking at how the issue of gender affects their work as an aid agency.
One of the contributors to the workshop was Róisín Gallagher, Programme Development Advisor, Gender & Inequality, Christian Aid. She presented case studies from Christian Aid’s work with Syrian refugees and Iraqi internally displaced people.
Lydia Monds, Education Advisor with Bishop’s Appeal, reported from the recent Gender Justice Network Conference in London, where faith leaders from UK and Ireland are building a global inter–faith movement to work on gender justice.
Introducing the morning, Christian Aid’s Church and Community Manager, Peter Byrne, said that last week marked the 70th anniversary of the foundation of Christian Aid. This, he said, was a significant milestone but it was also double edged – the organisation could look back and see all that they had done but at the same time they were conscious that there was much more to do.
He said that the issue of gender impacted the work they did in all the countries in which they operate. “We as aid agencies understand that this is something we have to grapple with in the countries in which we work but also in the churches which support our work. We are looking at this in a new way so it is exciting. It is also deeply challenging,” he stated.
Róisín Gallagher said she hoped for three outcomes from the morning. She hoped participants would thing about what their gender meant to them, gain a better understanding of the impact of gender on development and leave having made a commitment on gender equality.
She explained the difference between the terms gender and sex: Gender refers to the socially constructed roles and attributes of and relations between men and women. Because its socially constructed, it can change over time and from country to country. Sex refers to biological characteristics which define humans as female or male.
In reporting from the recent conference, Lydia Monds a conference presented a wonderful proto framework for a theology of gender and justice.
Photo caption: Chairman of Bishops’ Appeal Bishop Patrick Rooke, Róisín Gallagher of Christian Aid, Lydia Monds of Bishops’ Appeal and Peter Byrne of Christian Aid.