CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY IN ASAC --- PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 10th of March, 2020

The Archdiocese Social Apostolate Centre (ASAC) - Skills Training Centre celebrated the International Women's Day as the Culminating Activity of the trainees' Workshop on Gender Equality and women's Rights held for two consecutive Wednesdays. Most of the trainees in Basic Sewing and Basic Cooking are from the settlement areas. Some of them are also migrants from West Papua, Indonesia.

Together with the SSJ Sisters and our Trainors, we, the trainees came together last Tuesday morning (March 10,2020) to celebrate together our sense of womanhood... we have been informed and guided through the intention of this year for woman…we are invited to:

• Share our knowledge with other women … teaching and learning some kind of gadget so we are not ignorant in this area of technology.
•  Applaud girls and woman athletes… attend to women’s sports events, encourage our daughters and sisters to do some kind of sports and ourselves included.

• Forge an inclusive and gender equal work ambiance. When we work in a place that is healthy, efficient, and friendly we can empower and be empowered.

• Learn something during this year about our personal stage of life… realizing what challenges and blessings I am called to work through and arise resilient in the process. (Nurturing, Teenage pregnancy, Menopause, yeast infections and others…)

• Empower women through health education. 

• Dare to be creative this year… drawing, baking, dress making, painting,modeling clay, weaving, crocheting, other forms of creativity that have been forgotten.
• Work…

We were also challenged to become aware that all of us are called to make a difference: 

We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight biases, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. In this way, collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

We were introduced to this year’s theme from the IWD committee:

#EachforEqual and the sign of equality for all…

We were encouraged to do whatever we can wherever we are to promote gender equality.

After this introduction we nestled into a circle, the circle of women who gather to pray and share their womanhood… we have expressed who we are by naming ourselves and placing our names into a bilum (Papuan home made bag) …

... then we prayed together the Psalm of Woman by Emily Navhoholz, SCN… throughout the room it resounded in a melodious manner…

“ I AM A WOMAN… full of light and shadows full of love and fear, full of hope and despair…but you are there to lead me… to help me.. … you created every part of me you put me together in my mother’s womb… into the womb of LIFE… I am nurtured and nourished protected and loved…I praise you for the gift of life, for the gift of being a woman.

As the reflection continued we were then invited to look within ourselves… that feminine place of course that many times does not speak aloud… and we were asked to write down what we can DO… what we will DO as women. These were our sharing at this moment:

• I can be charitable and in my community I can share with others God’s love in me.
• Mi laik hempim ol man long tok bilong tok bilon God. (I can help others to spread the word of God.)
• I can be a helping person to all people and share what I have.
• I can listen and nurture others, smile with love, and be a grace filled woman. 
• I can be charitable to the orphans, the widows, the needy and the poor, especially the disabled and the unfortunate ones.
• I can help others that need help from me.
• I can be a youth leader in the church.
• I can be a community leader
• I can be a good friend, loving, helpful and caring
• I can be a good mother in my family. 
• I can be loving and caring, fighting for my rights as a woman, taking on responsibilities.
• I can be sensitive to others’ needs, listen and welcome others. I can share, and be flexible, help in empowering others.
• I am and I have the right to make decisions… I can
• I can express my thoughts, be friendly and relate with others with a loving and respectful manner… this way I can be an instrument of love to others.
• I can be of help to people in need.
• I can help others in any way I can, with the gifts I have like knowledge and strength that can be shared from my life’s experiences. 
• I can be loving and caring and fight for my rights as a woman, I can be happy. 
• I can be charitable, I can make decisions and be creative and be loving.
• I can be a good person, a leader for my community.
• I can be used by God to be a blessing to others.

It was a warm, nurturing circle of women expressing their Dignity with gladness… together we prayed the Women’s CREED… stating with one voice: “we believe in the goodness and value of women… and affirm the story of women as the story of humankind…”

Our final song led us to realize that we can be women who challenge the status quo… who can BE and DO many things that will make this world a better place … starting here, beginning now… weaving as woman with all.

C-T CEBU & TALLERES DE NAZARET-CEBU WORKERS CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY (PHILIPPINES)

The International Women’s Day was also celebrated by SSJ Sisters and TDNC Workers in Cebu on the 10th of March, 2020 since the 8th of March fell on a Sunday. The workers suggested Tuesday because this is the day dedicated to Mother Bonifacia. 

The short but very meaningful celebration started in the morning during TDNC prayer time period. A power point presentation was shown to the workers so that they will know the meaning, significance and history of the celebration. This was followed by a dance of the group workers choreographing the song in Tagalog entitled BABAE (WOMAN). The very meaningful words of the song were expressed very well by the dancers.

Finally, a meaningful Liturgy followed highlighting the Woman’s Psalm and the Gospel Reading according to St. Luke which is about Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord, a woman full of grace and filled by the Holy Spirit...