PAWEEN panel 2: celebration of gifts and contributions of Pan African women of faith

The focus of this panel was to celebrate gifts and contributions of Pan African women of faith. The panellists shared their insights on how Pan African women through their gifts, resources and capacities have contributed to change the livelihood of their communities, challenged gender patterns, developed academic discourse, influenced ecumenical relationships and built communities of faith transmission.
Panelists: Angelique Walker Smith (Bread for the World, United States); Esther Mombo (St Paul's United Theological College, Kenya); Mary Anne Plaatjies van Huffel (WCC president for Africa, South Africa); Jeanette Bouknight (Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, United States)
Moderator: Nyambura Njoroge (World Council of Churches)

The seminar Empowerment of Pan-African Women in the Ecumenical Movement in a Sustainable Development Perspective of the Pan-African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAWEEN) of the Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the WCC, offered an impetus to the invitation of the WCC member churches to join a pilgrimage of justice and peace.

The seminar aimed to highlight the agency and transformative impact of Pan-African women in the ecumenical movement. Representatives of churches, faith-based organizations, civil society organizations, Pan-African women’s organizations, academic institutions and actors interested in promoting worldwide solidarity with people of African descent were invited to participate.

The framework of this common study process, which celebrates Pan-African women’s leadership and narrates their woundedness and transformation, is grounded in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The event included sessions, through and from the perspective of Pan-African women, on faith and spirituality; historic and contemporary wounds; advancement of rights and sharing solidarity; transformation and empowerment. -----------------------------------------
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