Browsing by Author "Dada, Romano Rokani"

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    Women in AMECEA Local Churches Challenges and Ropes
    (Tangaza University College, 1998-02-16) Dada, Romano Rokani
    Down through the centuries, the African woman has played major roles in the socioeconomic, political, cultural and religious development of society. Traditionally, women played the role of providing food for subsistence, were the primary agents of socialization, giving values, aspirations and moral foundation to their children and therefore being the pillars for the construction of balanced societies. Women also produced surplus food for barter trade and maintained the families when the men were out, either hunting, gathering, trading or raiding neighbouring ethnic communities for animals and more women. Today, their is great social change, women's situation and women's roles are greatly changing as they become more and more involved in different activities. This change, which is to be found at different levels, is also creating new needs and challenges that have to be met. The role of women in the society and in the church deserves a special attention. This has become a burning issue world-wide and Africa is not an exception. It is this reality which prompted me to give such a special attention, albeit restricted only to the AMECEA local Churches. The Encyclical letter, the Redeinptoris Missio, of Pope John Paul II, refers to the challenge presented, by women as a new Areopagus to which he invites the church to direct her commitment. These challenges can be classified in to the following headings: social, cultural, economic, religious and political. The recently concluded African Synod of Bishops came at a time when the African woman is so to say, rising from her down trodden social condition. She has been challenged to be herself, a true African woman, a person of dignity and self worth, a person who can participate fully in the church and society. The major challenge, however, is to rise above oppressive traditional structures, both in the church and society. In Chapter One, of this essay I will analyse the situation of women as it stands in the traditional African set-up; considering social, cultural, economic, political and religious perspectives. In Chapter Two, I will present a Christian Vision and Praxis, a biblical (Judaeo- Christian) experience and a brief analysis of the situation of women in the course of the history of the Church, citing some relevant encyclicals and other Church documents. Chapter Three, will offer some proposals to the Church and Society as to how to improve on the image of women and enhance their full participation in socio-cultural, economic, political and religious sphere. This topic is quite broad and extensive, for it raises many challenges. An attempt to discuss it exhaustively within a limited lenght of an Essay like this one will deprive the reader of a broader horizon. lnspite of this, my sincere wish is that while reading through this manuscript, the reader will be contented with the scope and the subject matter discussed.