Concern over lack of women in WCC leadership

08.09.09

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At the recent Central Committee meeting, three female presidents of the World Council of Churches expressed concern and disappointment over the lack of women in senior staff leadership. As of 1 October, all leadership positions at the WCC in programmes and at the senior level will be men. The WCC presidents Dr Mary Tanner, Rev. Dr Ofelia Ortega and Rev. Dr Bernice Powell Jackson suggested the following recommendation to be added to the nominations committee report which was discussed and then approved by the Central Committee:

"...that those responsible for staff appointments give due attention to regional, confessional and gender balances among the staff, and in particular, to the commitment of the Central Committee to the presence of women in all levels of staff leadership groups."

Answering a question about the successes and failures of his tenure as WCC general secretary during a press conference on the first day of the meeting, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia regretted that, despite his commitment he had not been able to achieve regional and gender balances within the WCC staff. Kobia said that was partially due to the fact that during the last two years new appointments have been frozen.

More information on the WCC Central Committee meeting

Read a featured article by Ecumenical News International: Presidents of global church group rue lack of women in top posts

<- Back to: Central Committee news

Comments

Asirvathem Solomon Rajan Babu, Madras, India 12-09-09 04:13:

God created men and women in his own image. So they have the equal right in every actions. But the women are treated as second classes citizen. It should be avoided in our church activities.

Eleanor Jackson, Radstock, Somerset UK 14-09-09 16:02:

I am appalled at this news. The situation was bad enough when I worked in the WCC archives in Geneva 1972-74. but then the two thirds world was very under-represented, too. I remember Dr Kathleen Bliss's wry comments(She put family before a Geneva appointment in 1949)Having hit the glass ceiling repeatedly during my academic career (only 15% of senior academic posts in Britain are held by women) it is all too easy to see how it happens. It means women do not get the opportunities to get qualifying experience. Just fight on, sisters!

Linda Brebner, Rochester, New York USA 15-09-09 22:24:

I wholeheartedly support the concerns of the three vice presidents of the WCC. I have written a couple of times about my concern that not one woman was among the finalists for the new President. In this day and age, this is certainly regretable.

It feels as if we are going backward instead of forward, and that hurts. Thank God for the wonderful Vice Presidents who keep on raising the issues of justice for women and other marginalized persons.

Most sincerely,

Linda B. Brebner (Rev. Dr.)
PCUSA

Isabel Phiri (Prof), UPCSA, South Africa 18-09-09 20:42:

All the women who are concerned about gender justice support the concerns of the 3 presidents. I feel that WCC should not leave issues of gender justice in the top posts of staff of WCC to chance. They must be intentional and make it a priority at all times. We realise that sharing posts between women and men in any organisation is a thorny issue because of the existence of patriarchy. Therefore those who are in decision making positions need to make deliberate effort to include women in senior leadership positions to show that they are committed to recognise and accept the leadership of women. It does not make sense when WCC make statements to condemn violence against women when within WCC there is violence against women by sidelining women from senior leadership positions.

Valerie Garrick, Lake Oswego,Oregon USA 20-09-09 09:54:

Women still need exposure to all levels of leadership in the church. If we do not continually create space for women to enter into the conversation then we will not hear the voice of women. We simply must have equality in the conversations and decision making.

Kjetil Hafstad, Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo 29-09-09 13:10:

Gender balancing requires efforts every day. Forgetting this, we fall back to old networks. Especially in troublesome days, we need broad and balanced representation at all levels in the member churches and in the central organization. This is a struggle for justice and balancing where the churches can and should be leading!

Esther William, Jammu(JK),India 08-10-09 14:37:

Unless the men at the top level in our churches including the WCC are sensitive to gender issues,the women will find no voice,no position. Untill they stop feeling insecure and threatend by women this will not happen.We need to sensitize our brothers, fathers,and husbands...only then can we claim to have made some change in the outlook and thinking.

kanukolanu sabitha swaraj, hyderabad 20-10-09 22:10:

Giving leadership to women at the top level in WCC it self will be an example for the rest of the world if at all WCC is making an intentional effort to give justice to women as equal partners in His mission

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