MESSAGE FOR WOMEN'S DAY

“THE CHALLENGE OF CARING for THE THREADS OF LIFE” 

International Women’s Day has its origin in a tragic event on 8th March 1908. It is repeated again in 2022 in the midst of a health pandemic which has wreaked havoc in the economies and societies of the world. Also it has showen us the structural inequalities existing in all areas of our lives. 

At this particular time of crisis women have been at the frontline inside and outside of the home. In the private sphere the vast majority of unpaid care work already falls on the backs of women, because of the pandemic this has increased. In the social sphere their role has been essential in running the soup kitchens, the organising of neighbourhood initiatives and health promotions. This has been done regardless of their personal resources and institutional capacity being limited, their rights unrecognized and threatened. Despite this work by women, social and protection systems have broken down with calls for help, complaints of violence and sexual abuse increasing. Women were left in conditions of greater vulnerability, with a rise of feminicides as the cruellest expression against them. 

In this same vein, in terms of employment, it is undeniahle that all over the world women have been the most affected by dismissals and wage reductions before and during the pandemic, worsening the imbalances and the negative consequences. In fact, America had the greatest regional fall in women’s employment due to the pandemic. According to ILO data it is expected that in 2022 men’s employment will be recuperated at 2019 level (68,6% of working-age men with jobs), while working-age women’s employment will only be recuperated at 43,5%. 

Therefore, women’s situation in the region remains gloomy. For that reason, it is urgent to straighten the ways, to rectify these historical inequalities, to break the silence and to build a more humane world. It is important to fight against other pandemics that keep killing women, so that they do not have to live in these most precarious situations.

In the midst of these deepening differences that affect women’s lives, the question to achieve solidarity and sisterhood is where is your brother? (Gn 4:9). In other words we will say to them where is your sister? Because if the voices of brothers and sisters cry out together voices will be raised, ears will listen and be heard. This has to happend to stop the violence against women and children who die because of injustice.. 

In this way as a World Movement of Christian Workers, we are called to present history every day. As Pope Francis says bearing witness to the Good News is also to build hope and to push back the violence and injustice. This is why we commemoration 8^th March, International Women’s Day, for our sisters, with the love and the vocation of continuing to care for the threads of life, even if it means doing without comforts and costumes.  

Message written by MCW Peru 

GOD OF LOVE,
We know that Man and Woman
you create us whether Man or Woman, you love us,
from the beginning of creation!

GOD OF RESPECT,
We know that from the beginning of times
You respect all and each of us
With our differences and our similarities!

GOD OF JUSTICE,
We know that your Son Jesus knew to listen
rejected, harmed, exploited, unloved women
And we know that doing it he astonished, even scandalized!

GOD OF LIFE
Give us the courage to follow your Son’s steps
give us the strength to show respect for all life,
And on all occasions.We ask you GOD: our FATHER and Our MOTHER
For ever and ever! Amen

 Prayer of Bernard ROBERT
WMCW Chaplain

https://mmtc-infor.com/en  

The link between ill health and poverty has been known for more than 40 years. COVID-19 has exposed and amplified the inequalities of Health outcomes.  People in more deprived areas spend more of their shorter lives in ill health than those in less deprived areas.

MCW invites you

to their National Conference and AGM

on Saturday 27^th November 2021

Book now to hear why these inequalities persist and what action for change is needed from our expert guest speaker Steve Gilvin Former Chief Executive for Newham GP federation.

To book click Read more:

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People Living in extreme poverty around the World propose to build forward and not a return to the past or “build back better” !*.    

Starting today and throughout the week up down the country many women and men of good will are taking action to raise awareness about the extent of poverty at home and abroad.  Culminating on the 17 October with the UN International Day or the Eradication of Poverty.   The B45 MCW group in Birmingham are some of these people, taking a number of local initiatives to mark this important date.

COVID-19 has resulted in over 3.7 million deaths globally, reversing decades of progress in the  fight  against poverty and extreme poverty.  The World Bank estimates  “Projected poverty impacts of COVID-19, ”between 71 to 100 million people pushed into poverty as a result of the crisis, the majority of the new extreme poor being found in South Asian and Sub-Saharan countries  

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 Today, we see that the world of work is becoming progressively worse , the denial of rights at work, the deterioration of democracy, the violation of human rights, and social justice, the rejection of pluralism, the elimination of secularism, the promotion of political hatred and fundamentalism.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently adopted the concept of the effectiveness of “social protection for everyone” as strategic objective, focussing on income security with an emphasis on the poorest. This requires identifying the profitable and equitable means by which social protection can be spread to all groups. And it is necessary to focus on providing social protection to the informal sector. The vision of “decent work” sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives. It implies opportunities for productive work by providing a fair income. It requires security in the workplace and social protection for families, through better prospects of personal development and social integration. It requires freedom so that people can express their concerns, organise themselves and participate in decisions that affect their lives and....

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You are kindly invited to a Zoom seminar which is being jointly organised by the MCW (Movement of Christian Workers) and our Sister Movement the YCW (Young Christian Workers).  

Click here to see the recording  of this event on the MCW Youtube Chamel:  https://youtu.be/xJJ6u1lTBtI

This seminar is entitled “Decent Work for All” and marks the World Day for Decent Work. A range of speakers are planned to reflect the situation faced by the members and their contacts of both movements.

As we look for solutions to returning to a greater post-pandemic economic activity, Pope Francis asks that we avoid any form of discrimination, including “consumerism” or “nationalism”. “We must look for solutions that will help us build a new future of work based on decent and dignified working conditions” always “promoting the common good”.

Migrants, along with other vulnerable workers and their families remain excluded from access to national health promotion, disease prevention,

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The February 2021 bulletin from the WMCW (World Movement of Christian Workers) is entitled “The fight for justice”The various contributions from MCWs around the globe all reference or attribute their contribution to the definition of Decent Work by the ILO (International Labour Organisation).  

Thus, the benchmark for the articles is “Remunerated work carried out in adequate conditions, in a system of freedom, equity and security. Decent Work should let workers and their families lead a decent and healthy life.” The Labours in the Vineyard is drawn upon to emphasise a just wage (Lk10:7) and in addition the explanation that the just wage to the last hour workers gave them dignity (Mt20:1-7). In a similar vein ‘Laborem Exercens’ stressed the social meaning of the just wage for the fruits of the workers’ labour recognised in the ‘Rerum Novarum’ encyclical. Each writer gives prominence to the need

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