The Advancement of Women in Our Generation
The Advancement of Women in Our Generation
1- The renaissance of women in the Coptic Church began in the days of His Holiness Pope Cyril IV, known as the Father of Reform. He was the first to establish a school for girls.
Thus women began to receive education. And their education had very many results. Perhaps the first of these was the entrance of women into the life of society and into social interaction. And the expansion of the woman’s mind through the expansion of her knowledge. And the use of this mind in very many fields.
2- And women moved from the stage of learning to the stage of teaching. And in our Church we found thousands of women involved in the sphere of Church education service, young women’s meetings, and the various branches of ministry.
3- And women undertook social service in its many varied branches in many churches: the service of the Brethren of Christ, the service of charitable committees, the care of fallen girls, and in many churches women came to manage workshops and became responsible for organizing celebrations in their churches.
4- And alongside workshops, women worked in the service of nurseries in churches and in associations and institutions dedicated to that. And many virtuous women were able to dedicate all their time to this ministry.
5- And from here arose the ministry of consecrated women. And many girls began to leave behind the idea of employment and even the life of marriage, preferring instead to consecrate themselves for ministry. And many dioceses became unable to do without the service of consecrated women. And the Church will soon establish regulations for them.
6- And the ministry of deaconesses appeared in the Church. And it became possible to appoint 27 deaconesses for this ministry in June 1981, with a special attire and a special ministry.
7- And the field advanced further for women, so they entered the Clerical College and became qualified in theological studies. And the intellect of women became broad enough for such studies, and they excelled in them, and rose to the level of teaching in the Clerical College. There are also female teachers in the Institute of Coptic Studies in the subjects of Church history and art.
8- And women entered the field of development. And there came to be many women working in development centers in the Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social Services and its various branches, and in the dioceses.
9- And women worked in the field of translation. And among them were those who worked in translating religious books in Egypt and also in the diaspora. And alongside translation came authorship.
10- And women also worked in the ecumenical movement. And many of them assumed positions in various church organizations and in international church conferences, and they succeeded in that.
11- And women were permitted for some of them to become members of church councils (their committees). And they worked alongside men with zeal and activity, and successfully. It is rare to find a church without a women’s committee.
12- And finally, women were permitted for the first time to cast their votes in the Millī Councils and to nominate themselves for membership in them.
And we wish women even greater success.
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