Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Work of Women and Poverty



Earlier this year I attended a Work of Women (WOW) luncheon here in OKC and was so wonderfully happy I left my terribly busy stressful workday to hear news from Nepal. From the WOW website:
"Women make up 70 percent of the nearly 3 billion people who live on less than $2 a day. They work a majority of the world's working hours but receive small fraction of the income, and often have no decision making power related to finances. Half a million women die every year from preventable complications of pregnancy. One in three women will be assaulted, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Girls are the majority of the children who can't or are not allowed to attend school."

So as I ate my free lunch, drank my clean water, drove my gas guzzling car back to my job and then came home to a house with electricity, running water, furniture and then food, water and soap. I realized I greatly needed a reality check.

Just Faith has made me realize for us to have real compassion we must form a community that has the characteristics of solidarity, servanthood and obedience. This is just the tip of the compassion leap I want to make. So as I continue to move through my Just Faith class over this next year the essence of community has been forefront on my mind.

Please please note the photo by Sergio Pessolano. Everything he does is a work of art!

4 comments:

Patrick said...

I remember us thinking during the ice storm last year that the inconvenience of no electricity and cold temperatures was still not a fair approximation of what people in poverty have to deal with their entire lives.

Sundra said...

Good reminder! It's always interesting to remember that as we're complaining about high gas prices and less money to spend on dinners out, tightening the belt for many poor women in Nepal (and elsewhere my org works in) means reducing your meals to one a day, or skipping meals today entirely. Thanks for your insightfulness, Tami! - Sundra (full disclosure: I manage the WOW! group at World Neighbors!)

CC said...

Hi there! I just found you via your comment on simple mom. I'm a Speech Pathologist (and Obama supporter!) as well. I love to blog about Speech Tips and would love your thoughts!

Wendy said...

Tami, This is a great perspective of poverty. I guess we are blessed in our workplace aren't we.