West Papua - Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen

Informationsteil
Kurs für angehende SozialarbeiterInnen.
men within the church and the society and
what in specific do you do against it in the
centre?
In my church statistically women pastors are
50:50 to male pastors. But in fact we still face
discrimination. For example if there is a same
case happening like a male or female pastor
have an affair, then usually the woman will be
dismissed and become the victim even though
she is innocent. But the male one is only transferred
to another area.
This is also happening in our society - different
problems have to be mentioned: Divorce, alcohol
abuse, free sex, polygamy, political or economic
issues etc. Our law, the police and government
don’t seem to care about what is happening.
In our centre, since we are all women we have no
problems like that. But we also experience those
cases from our male colleagues in the church
office or even pastors who treat us as like we
were nothing. But we can understand that. So if
we have experienced something like that then
we plan to help them with the program, like: male
pastor/church worker with less gender perception
will be invited to attend a gender program/
training by us.
So as women centre we do some specific programs
like:
We offer counselling for women having experienced
domestic violence and guide them if
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they need some special advice.
We run gender trainings for pastors / church
co-workers in our church.
We offer an international youth program with
a focus on group discussion (FGD) for students
from some colleges in Papua and USA.
We are busy with training workshops on pastoral
counselling for pastors in our church
taking up our social conditions.
We make research about women’s needs.
We educate women to improve their skills.
We give scholarship to those who need it.
What is the current injustice issue which women
and children have to face?
In Papua now, many women and children are infected
by HIV and live with AIDS, because their
husbands or fathers were infected while going
to prostitutes. We run some campaigns to help
people to break the silence about people who
live with HIV&AIDS. But after that we face new
problems; how we can help them to get medicine,
good and nutritious food, health care, a place
to live, mental support and much more? Since
Papua is number one concerning the HIV-prevalence
in Indonesia this has become our main
duty.
What are some further points which you
would like to mention to those who are reading
the booklet and use your materials within
Germany as well as other UEM contexts?
I would like to mention to everyone reading the
booklet the following:
We should reflect or evaluate about the purpose
or meaning of partnership in UEM context.
To the churches in Indonesia: we should work
hard to connect our thoughts, feeling, sorrow,
joy or happiness about our place and
churches in our nation. As Indonesian we
have Pancasila to unite us and as a Christian
we have Law of Love to guide us. So I hope
we can support better like we suppose to do.
To all people who are believing in equality:
our story in Papua doesn’t mean to disturb
our partnership but to encourage all of us to
see how complex the context of UEM member
churches is.
Let us be united in Evangelical Mission in every
place, every culture, in every hope.
Interview with Betty Sarewo by Ute Hedrich
gerechte gemeinschaft von männern und frauen