TRAINING PROGRAMME ON GENDER JUSTICE HELD

A Follow up Training Programme on Gender Justice was organized by the Church of North India Synodical Women's Fellowship for Christian Service from the 20th - 25th of August, 2007 at the CNI-CHPD, Nagpur. Around 17 participants from different dioceses of the Church of North India participated in this training programme. The inaugural programme was held on the 20th of August and as an act of commitment the resource persons along with the participants lit the floating candles with a promise to empower and to be empowered and to attain the just position in the society where we live. The facilitators for the training programme were Ms. Mercy Kappen from VISTHAR- Bangalore, D. Alka Srivastava from the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, Ms. P. P. Masih the President of the Synodical Women's Fellowship for Christian Service and Dr. Mabel Athavale, the Secretary of the Synodical Women's Fellowship for Christian Service respectively. The Director of Programmes-Church of North India encouraged all the participants to take the programme seriously and wished then all the good wishes for the programme.

The Follow up Training Programme consisted of Sessions, Group works, discussions, presentations, debates, role plays and enacting the situations of women today in regard to gender discrimination that is prevailing in our society today. The methods of having power against patriarchy were also introduced and then were elaborated. The definition of the word 'Gender' and the gender roles, the activities, the control of labour were was also discussed and debated. Referring to the sessions and discussions on how different institutions have been involved in the gendering process, especially the family, educational institutions and religion, the facilitators have been able to present to the participants the fact how patriarchy through different institutions have exerted control over women's life in matters regarding fertility, sexuality, labour resources and mobility.

The focus was also given on gender analysis and the factors to be taken into account such as division of labour, access and control and also the needs. Through different exercises the participants realized that the disabling forces are more in number than the enabling forces and it is high time that women challenge such disabling forces and even defy or condemn them if they stand in the way of Gender Justice and substantive equity. Through the training programme the participants were able to realize that the fact that Patriarchy has led women in a position of conflict and this can be only solved when resources are equally shared. The causes could be also categorized as cultural, economical, political and psychological and are interrelated giving rise to further causes of oppression. Mr. Sudipta Singh, the Director of Programmes took over sometime on the last day of the training i.e. 24^th of August and encouraged and challenged the participants to prepare an Action Plan for the programme on Gender Justice to be organized in all the dioceses of the Church of North India.