The women's fellowship of the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa, founded in 1906, is an independent body actively supporting the work of the church. In 1999, the women applied to the Reformed churches partnership fund for help in creating the post of a women's affairs liaison officer, since the current structure of the church does not yet allow for the full integration of women in its leadership.

This liaison officer complements the voluntary services of the secretary, moderator and vice-moderator of the fellowship in working towards the full recognition and equal participation of women in all areas of church life. Main emphases are on leadership training, theological education, building awareness, commencing dialogue on constitutional and structural changes within the church, and liaising with and creating a network with other NGOs. The women also work closely with the church leaders to ensure that they seek women's perspectives on Christian education literature and theological overviews.

In an interim report on the project, Ms Fua Lelevaga, the secretary of the women's fellowship, writes of some of the activities that partnership fund support has made possible.

"An ecumenical gathering (soofaatasi) invited women from other denominations and NGOs in Samoa to discuss issues women are facing in their churches. This gathering was a success in bringing together women of influence in public and church circles to bear witness to the urgent need for solidarity in breaking the barriers which prevent all women from equal participation in public and church life in the Samoan community. Topics were: equal participation of women in employment, women's struggles against violence and abuse in the home and society, gender equity in education and culture, sexual harassment, and inclusive language. We felt a sense of oneness and of sisterhood; something that was never thought possible, given that, although we are all Christians, we women are normally confined within the parameters of our own churches."

A second workshop was held on child prostitution and trafficking; key speakers were two officials from ECPAT New Zealand. (ECPAT is a global network working to protect children against commercial sexual exploitation.) "Isolated incidents happened during the past year where children were affected. Because Samoa never experienced this kind of problem we felt the urgent need to learn about it and to build awareness among parents. This workshop affected us greatly. Many of us learned for the first time of the extent and seriousness of this crime in the world. The 200 people who attended the meeting will now become facilitators in their communities to evoke awareness."

The women's fellowship also played an important role when the general assembly of the United Nations peace movement was held in Samoa. The church's delegates - thirty women and twenty men -addressed the assembly, calling for an end to discrimination against women all over the world. Two more workshops, on leadership skills and good parenting, were organized, targeting women at the grassroots.

The Reformed churches partnership fund is a modest instrument for Reformed churches to act together in partnership. Here is an example of the fund helping another kind of partnership - between women and men - within one of our churches.

Karin Wisniewski, Reformed churches partnership fund