Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/481579
13 March/April 2015 women and children, and how the law forbids such violations. T he CPC's Women and Families D epartment learned through a survey that in Congo's major cities only 5 to 10 percent of marriages are certified; in rural areas, it is less than 5 percent. By encouraging married couples to register their traditionally sealed mar- riage with the civil authorities, the thus-legalized union would grant women and children protection of the law in cases of death, domestic vio- lence or divorce. To ensure a success- ful campaign, Christine convinced civil authorities at the district level to lower licensing fees from $10 to $2. To keep track of progress, she pre- pared a form for trainers that they can use to start a database. The form lists the names of all couples in a given congregation, the status of their unions and dates and license numbers for registered marriages. At a CPC worship service in Demba, the parish pastor, Katende Ilunga called forward his beloved wife of 47 years, Mbuyi Ntumba. Holding proudly their marriage certificate, he shared with his congregation that after the Demba seminar, he and his wife decided to set the example for their congregation and went to register their marriage, which had been sealed before the traditional authorities many years before. Awareness and Security The CPC's 2012 seminars on women's rights equipped partici- pants—including Agnes—with a vision of security for women and children, and tools to make that a reality. When Agnes returned from the seminar in Demba, she and three other trainees from her presbytery repeated the training with delegates from their presbytery's 12 parishes. That training took place in 2013. The 42 participants included 35 men and women from the church, plus local administrators, police represen- tatives and traditional chiefs. Agnes and her co-trainers applied the interactive methods they had learned during the initial seminar. Their toolkits included pictures portraying rights violations against women and children (to facilitate conversations) and a stack of Here's What You Can Do Make a gift to Presbyterian Women's Birthday or Thank Offering or the Mission Pledge. To give, use the envelope bound into this issue or give online at www.presbyterianwomen.org. A 2012 Thank Offering grant of $19,270 helped make possible promoting marriage certification for women in Kasai. At first blush, this administrative check box could seem minor. But hearing Agnes's story shows that this process helps ensure safety and respect for women. Scan the QR code to the left or visit http://goo.gl/GRw5Jv to watch three videos related to this article. In one, you'll hear Christine Ngalula talk about the impact of the Thank Offering grant in Kasai. In another, you'll hear from widowed Congolese women talking about culturally-accepted violence against women in their country. In a third, you'll see highlights from author Christi Boyd's visits to grassroots communities with Congolese church leaders. The montage represents cultural, economic, legal and political dimensions of the context in which the church serves. Make a gift to support Christi's work with women and children; give online at www.presbyterianmission.org/donate /E200314/. T In Luiza, West Kasai, community leaders gather for awareness training on women's rights. Traditional chiefs, police and government officials discuss forms of violence against women seen in their community. This awareness-building training and the marriage registration program were made possible in part by a Thank Offering grant from Presbyterian Women. Ruth Brown