Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar "Imagine a man riding pillion on a motorbike while his wife straddles the front seat... Imagine the man carrying the empty basket as he shops with his wife."

These were the words of the facilitator, Evangeline Anderson-Rajkumar, during the opening session of the regional workshop for gender awareness and leadership development in South Asia in June this year. As participants assigned characteristics like "weak" and "domineering" to men and to women, an animated discussion began about gender role stereotyping that compels us to ascribe differing values to the sexes, transforming objects like a "basket" or "briefcase" into culturally loaded images. The result: a lower status for women in Asian societies.

Gender inequality permeates all aspects of life: the home, the workplace, and even the church. The participants critically examined the power structures of their churches in order to understand the many ways in which women are excluded from assuming leadership roles. Although some churches have constitutional guarantees that include women, they are often reluctant to participate. The participants acknowledged that cultural constraints and norms must be understood and addressed by the church if gender justice is to be achieved.

As pointed out by the facilitator, violence against women is the most insidious outcome of gender inequality. It was an uncomfortable social reality that had to be confronted. Whether it is women who are raped, wives who are beaten or "Eve teasing" and sexual harassment in the workplace, one in every three women have faced some form of violence. Asian cultural norms often compel us to dismiss it as a woman's fate. The participants discussed how a proactive response from the church is imperative if we are to restore the human dignity intended by God for both men and women.

Due to the tumultuous political situation in South Asia, there were many cancellations and postponements before the workshop - the seventh to be organized by the department of partnership of women and men - could take place. The venue was changed from Sri Lanka to India and finally to Bangkok, Thailand, where it was hosted by the Church of Christ in Thailand.

Dr Anderson-Rajkumar, from United Theological College in Bangalore, India, served as facilitator. The department was represented by its secretary, Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, and Bishop S Vasanthakumar of the Church of South India.

When the eleven participants from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand finally met in Bangkok, they bonded in more ways than one. At the special communion service to close the workshop, each participant wrote down an obstacle and burnt it as an indication of their determination to overcome it. Candles were then lit - symbols of promises that the "light" ignited at the workshop would now be carried to our individual churches in the hope of achieving an equitable partnership between women and men.

Asha Abeyasekera-Van Dort