Asian Church women to deliberate on Gender-Based Violence and Forced Migration

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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18 November 2024

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Asia regional consultation of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) with the theme “Gender-Based Violence and Forced Migration of Women: Towards Strengthening Gender Justice Advocacy” will be held at Bangkok Christian Guest House from 19 to 21 November 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The regional consultation, organised as part of a series of programmes on the Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV), will focus on empowering women's capacity to advocate against the growing issue of gender-based violence.

It will also emphasise theological principles that promote gender justice and foster solidarity among women.

The consultation will bring together 30 women representatives selected from CCA member churches across Asia to explore strategies for advancing gender justice in the region and collective advocacy against gender-based violence, trafficking of women, and forced migration. 

Participants will also examine the role of the church and ecumenical networks in addressing violence against women and develop actionable methods to support women’s rights and welfare.

Featuring workshops, plenary sessions, and addresses by eminent speakers on pressing topics such as ‘Gender-Based Violence in Asia: Emerging Trends and Strategic Approaches in Addressing the Issues’, ‘Gender Justice Advocacy in Churches’, ‘Gender Approach to Migration: Role of Churches in Local Contexts’, and ‘Tools and Strategies for Gender Justice Advocacy at National and Regional Levels’, the consultation aims to provide participants with practical means and approaches to advocate for gender justice within their communities and beyond.

Gender-based violence remains a pervasive challenge in Asia, with statistics indicating a higher prevalence than global rates. Women across the region face violence in multiple forms, including domestic abuse, online harassment, labour exploitation and forced conversions.The rise in migration further aggravates these issues, especially for women from ethnic minorities and underrepresented groups, who face increased risks of trafficking and forced labour in dangerous conditions.

The EWAAV regional consultation will address several critical concerns affecting women in Asia and aim to empower church women to lead advocacy efforts against gender-based violence and forced migration, increase awareness of injustice against women, and promote responses to support women’s rights across Asia.