NCCI’s Women Concerns Ministry

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World Day of Prayer 2017

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Click here on the link for the World Day of Prayer 2017 Resource Material-:

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All India Council of Christian Women of NCCI invites women’s fellowship and churches to reflect prayer in action by observing World Day of Prayer on 3rd March 2017.  This year’s theme is “ Am I Being Unfair to You?”

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together on the first Friday of March each year to observe a common day of prayer. Through World Day of Prayer, we affirm our faith in Jesus Christ and engage with the whole world, are enriched by the faith experience of Christians of other countries and cultures, share the burdens of other people by praying with them and for them, and use our own talents in the service of God’s world. Prayer and action are inseparable and both have immeasurable influence in the world.

World Day of Prayer Resource Material or Prayer Book is prepared by Philippines  WPD  Committee and contextualized by AICCW . The resource material is being sent to women’s fellowship and can be downloaded directly from NCCI website and

This year during WDP AICCW invites women’s fellowship to pray for Philippines and also  engage to reflect  prayer and action to  End Human Trafficking and Sexual  Slavery .

For more details contact AICCW office aiccw.office.ncci@gmail.com  and Ms Hungreiphy Zas  ( ( intern AICCW) Phone – 91 -7448272429 ( direct )  , 0712- 2531312 ( office number)

 

NCCI journeying with All India Baptist Fellowship to Promote Women’s Ordination

Young Women Leaders Promoting 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against Violence on Women during Baptist Women's Forum in Orissa

Young Women Leaders Promoting 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against Violence on Women during Baptist Women’s Forum in Odisha.

All India Baptist Fellowship organized a Women’s Forum from 25th – 27th November 2016 in Chandipur Odisha to discuss about the role of women in Church and strategize to promote women’s ordination. 25 key  women  leaders from 12 Baptist Conventions from Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and North Eastern states attended this Forum .  There were women leaders also in this forum who are ordained. According to Mrs .Katie Longkumer- Development Consultant of Council of Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI) and Rev Narola  Coordinator of this Forum,  “ This is an historic event in All India Baptist  Fellowship in its journey to promote partnership of women in ministry.”

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NCC India Congratulates Christian Conference of Asia for Initiating ‘Women’s Ecumenical Action Against Violence’ Network

15134785_10211433743985769_1529893627523849940_n-2-copy(Ms Moumita Biswas sharing about CEDAW during Women Building Peace, Preventing Violence and Transforming Our WorldConsultation  of CCA)

A Consultation on ‘Women Building Peace, Preventing Violence and Transforming Our World’ was organized by Christian Conference of Asia in Chiangmai , Thailand from 17th -20th  November 2016. Thirty-five Women leaders gathered from different parts of Asia and strategized how to involve churches and engage in advocacy to end violence on women and gender based violence.

‘Women’s Ecumenical Action Against Violence (WEAAV) is a programmatic thrust of CCA and a network was formed  to promote advocacy against violence on women in sub-regions and in  Asian Churches . Various  interactive sessions of the consultation led by experts covered a wide range of topics such as ‘Women Building Peace, Preventing Violence and Transforming Our World’, ‘Feminization of Labour Migration and Violence Against Women’, ‘Sustainable Development Goals in Achieving Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women’, and ‘Ecumenical Women’s Action and Strategies for Advocacy and Networks’.

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NCC India Appeals Churches to Engage in 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender Based Violence

 

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We cannot build inclusive just communities unless we strive to eradicate gender based violence and end child abuse which has became a pandemic in our country” states Rev Dr Roger Gaikwad, General Secretary of National Council of Churches in India .  “NCCI appeals to member churches and its leaders to actively engage in and promote the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender Based Violence and Child Abuse” states Dr Gaikwad.

The UN has declared 25th November as International Day for Elimination of Violence on Women.  From 25 November through 10 December, Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence aim to raise public awareness and mobilizing people everywhere to bring about change. The All India Council of Christian Women ( AICCW) –  Women’s Wing and Women and Gender Justice Commission of NCCI appeals to member churches  to express their faith in action and mobilize people everywhere to bring about change to end gender based violence .  AICCW invites   churches to ‘Break the Silence on Violence on Women and Girls  to promote  NCCI’s  Campaign: 365 Days Zero Tolerance to Gender Based Violence Make it Happen Now!!!

NCCI also invites Churches to engage in spiritual formation and education to empower men and  boys along with girls and women to work in partnership to end gender based violence. “Such education should start right from Sunday School at a tender age, and is necessary if we want to build a culture of peace and end violence on women and children” states Moumita Biswas – Executive Secretary of AICCW.

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Children’s Peace Festival to Commemorate 60 Anniversary of Fellowship of Least Coin Movement on International Day of Prayer for Peace

Bal Shanti Utsav

Samachar Newsletter Bal Shanti Utsav – click for more information 

Children’s Peace Festival – Bal Shanti Utsav  was organized by  The All India Council of Christian Women – Women and Gender justice wing of National Council of Churches in India on occasion of 60th Anniversary of Fellowship of Least Coin Movement on International Day of Prayer for Peace organized on 21st September 2016. This festival was organized in partnership with Methodist Church in Nagpur.98 children from Dalit from vulnerable background  participated in this ‘Children’s Peace Festival’

According to Rev Dr Roger Gaikwad – General Secretary of National Council of Churches in India ” Children are practitioners of peace however their contributions of making peace are not always recognized by society. It is very essential to acknowledge children’s contribution in making peace and nurture spirituality of justice and peace among children. The Bal Shanti Utsav is one such endeavor  of AICCW/ NCCI geared towards ecumenical and spiritual formation of children to build just and inclusive communities.”

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Praxis Dimension of Prayer : United in Prayer Reflecting Prayer in Action Women’s Fellowships Promoting Child Rights on World Day of Prayer

with cuban AmbassadorNurturing Church Women’s Spirituality for Justice and Peace and promoting World Day of Prayer   (WDP)  is one of the priority focuses of All India Council of Christian Women ( AICCW). WDP is a global, ecumenical movement of Christian women joined together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday of March. The Motto of WDP is “Informed Prayer & Prayerful Action” signifies that prayer and action are inseparable.  WDP unites church women in prayer in 170 countries.

In 2016 WDP resource material focuses on Cuba and is prepared by Cuba WDP Committee and contexualized by  AICCW. The theme is ‘Receive Children, Receive Me’. Throughout the month of March in India Women’s Fellowship of  different member churches commemorated WDP. AICCW gave a clarion call to churches to pray for Cuba and also promote Child Rights, Child Protection Polices and engage in advocacy to end Child abuse.

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An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India on the occasion of 107th International Women’s Day, 8 March 2016

download (1)Dear Hon’ble Prime Minister,

We, the undersigned women’s organizations and other concerned groups, convey our greetings on the occasion of 8th March, Women’s Day. This day has been celebrated for more than a hundred years to commemorate the women’s movement’s struggles for equality, justice and peace across almost all countries of the world.
On this memorable occasion, we are aware that you and your colleagues will be making speeches and statements to indicate how much this nation values the contribution of its women to the country’s progress. We expect that many will praise women as mothers, caring family members and hard workers; we hope some will acknowledge the diverse struggles of women everywhere in securing freedom from violence and ensuring peace.

We appreciate your earlier efforts to promote the value of daughters and encourage education for the girl child. We therefore look forward to more announcements from you this year that will indicate just how much this nation, and your government, shows appreciation for the women of this country. We would especially like to draw your attention to women’s work that produces food, goods, services, and care for the household as well as children who will be the future workforce of India; yet women’s care work continues to remain invisible, unsupported and unshared. You must have noticed how everywhere women work simultaneously in fields, forests, water bodies, and at home; providing water, fuel, fodder, cooking, cleaning, caring of children, sick, elderly, yet they are often unpaid and sometimes get much lesser wages than men on farms, work sites, factories, and markets. In fact unpaid care and household work by women, even though it is ten times as much as men, remains unrecognized and unaccounted for in the System of National Accounts (SNA).

The McKinsey report (The Power of Parity, 2015) points out how the gender gap in employment is exacerbated by unfair conditions for working women who become pregnant. In India 95% women workers are in the informal and unorganized sector and do not receive any wage compensation during pregnancy and after childbirth, although we expect them to rest, gain weight, improve their own health and then provide the baby with exclusive breastfeeding for six months. The Economic Survey of India 2016 (Ministry of Finance, Government of India) points out that ‘42.2% Indian women begin pregnancy too thin and do not gain enough weight during pregnancy’ and recommends that ‘some of the highest economic returns to public investment in human capital in India lie in maternal and early life health and nutrition interventions.’

Sir, on the occasion of Women’s Day we would earnestly request you to announce some substantial entitlements for women that would show very tangibly how much this country values women’s contribution to society and their families: as workers, as mothers and as valuable members of communities.
I.  At the very least, we expect your leadership in immediate implementation of the National Food Security Act 2013, within which:
a.    The Central Scheme for Maternity Entitlements should immediately be up-scaled from its pilot phase into at least 200 high-priority districts especially including those with a larger proportion of tribal (ST) population. The universal guarantee of at least Rs. 6000/- is only to be read as a beginning, and it should subsequently be rationalised as wage compensation.

b.    Maternity entitlements in all sectors must be universal and unconditional, and not linked to the number of children or age of the woman, as that is fundamentally discriminatory to both women and children.
c.    Supplementary nutrition through locally prepared foods – preferably hot cooked meals to be supplied to all pregnant and lactating women at the local Angawadi centre. The money invested for such a meal is highly inadequate currently under the ICDS program, leading to poor quality and quantity of the supplementary nutrition,
d.    The public distribution system must provide universal access to 10 kgs of cereals, I kg of pulses and 1 kg of oil rations under the NFSA.

II. We also hope within a short time to see:
a.    The progressive realization of nine months of maternity leave (three months before childbirth to six months after) with full compensation of wages for all women, calculated at least according to minimum wages at prevalent rates. This revision of the Maternity Benefits Act (1961) should recognize women’s work in all spheres, markets, domestic, for care and reproduction and subsistence; and guarantee maternity entitlements to all pregnant women, adoptive parent(s), surrogate mothers etc without discrimination.

b.    Large scale campaigns that call upon men to increase their contribution to care work and domestic chores, and reduce the burden on women.

c.    Creche and breastfeeding facilities at every work place and community (through Anganwadi-cum-creches) to be made mandatory to ensure women can continue to work and care for the infant.

d.    Financial resources for maternity entitlements and crèches should come from all economic activities in the country  as a state obligation to ensure entitlements and services, since reproduction is a social function which benefits the family, society and the nation.

Sir, on the occasion of Women’s Day, while paying compliments and appreciating the role of women, we are sure the government would want to change the embarrassingly inadequate allocation of 400 crores for Maternity Entitlements against the requirement of 15000 crore annually.  We urge you to translate rhetoric into action by allocating resources for social security in maternity, and acknowledging unpaid reproductive work done by women in this country, even as you greet them on this Women’s Day.

Letter prepared by:

National Alliance For Maternal Health And Human Rights (NAMHHR), the ECD Alliance, the Working Group for Children Under Six and the Right to Food Campaign, India  


endorsed by :

All India Council of Christian Women


click here for the Open Letter to church leaders and to the Prime Minister of In

Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality- International Women’s Day 2016

mb-iwd2016March is a very special month for women around the world.  In the month of March, ‘World Day of Prayer’ is observed and ‘International Women’s Day’ is commemorated.  During this period churches, women’s fellowships and organizations in India like every year engage in various advocacy activities to promote Women’s ‘Human Rights’, end gender-based violence, and celebrate the power of women as agents of transformation.  IWD helps us to recognize the role of women as salt and leaven and weavers justice and peace.
We invite your churches, women’s fellowships, organizations and even your own families to commemorate ‘Women’s Day’.  Various prayers, liturgies are found in different websites.  We are also sharing with you an intecessory prayer and women’s creed and some reflections.
All India Council of Christian Women
Women’s Wing of National Council of Churches in India
Posted by
Moumita Biswas
Executive Secretary, AICCW

“We Embrace You Mother Earth and Sister Tree”. Celebrating Creator’s Oikos: Young Women Artist Painting Murals of Inclusive and Just Communities.

GirlsThe National Council of Churches Quadrennial Assembly is at the threshold. The theme of the Assembly is “Towards Just and Inclusive Communities”. NCCI is mobilizing and inviting churches and communities to participate in this pilgrimage and celebration. Various Pre Assemblies or Forums are being organized. “Our aim is to creatively engage communities, churches  and people to share their stories and contributions and join us in our pilgrimage  to  build just and inclusive communities. Building just and inclusive  communities also calls for just relationships with mother earth” states Rev Dr Roger Gaikwad, General Secretary of  NCCI.   Ten young women dalit and tribal artists were invited to share their notion of just and  inclusive communities through traditional Warli art form by painting  murals  embracing walls around  the trees in NCCI campus.  These young women are from indigenous and  dalit background and are trainees from adopted slum communities of  Church of North India – Social Service Institute (CNISSI) of  Nagpur Diocese. Church of North India is member Church of NCCI.

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World Day of Prayer 4th March 2016

Theme: Receive Children, Receive Me

Country Focus : Cuba
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World Day of Prayer (WDP) is a global, ecumenical movement of Christian women joined together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday of March. The Motto of WDP is “Informed Prayer & Prayerful Action” signifies that prayer and action are inseparable. It is a movement initiated and carried out by women in more than 170 countries and regions. WDP brings together women of various races, cultures, and traditions in closer fellowship, understanding, and action throughout the year. Each year a different theme is chosen and the resource material and liturgy is prepared by WDP Committee of a particular country. Therefore, WDP gives scope to women all over the world to pray for that particular country. Christian women through this prayer movement raise funds to support projects and programs and initiatives of women for justice and peace through WDP International Committee.

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