The Religious Affairs Office

In 2022, the focus of the 2nd “Fe(r) i Dones” conference was “Communities as agents of change”. With a view to demonstrating a new take from a community perspective, emphasis was placed on the need, expressed and shared by female believers, of truly living their faith and beliefs at the heart of the community. Here, it was possible to see the way in which relations between women create a framework that allows people to grow, obtain recognition and fight against gender inequality and violence and discrimination.

A community perspective is important, as are the initiatives and projects that together address social challenges, with a view to improving the living standards in neighbourhoods and creating a more inclusive, cohesive society. A community approach places importance on autonomy, building a stronger civil society and more abilities to become a social and political stakeholder. It therefore aims to democratically strengthen the community and, as a result, the city. Religious communities form part of this community life and are involved not just from a religious perspective, but also in relation to society, culture, sports, mutual support, etc. Spiritual women’s groups are a good example of the interaction of these three axes of citizens policies: feminism, community action and interculturality and religious plurality. This was the theme of the second edition of the conference “Fe(r) i dones”.

“Fe(r) i Dones” meetings are intended to give visibility and emphasise the role of women of different convictions, beliefs and religious and spiritual traditions.. It should be noted that there is a high level of plurality when it comes to different beliefs and the way in which people experience their religiousness or spirituality. No two women believers are the same: women from ancestral traditions or more recent beliefs, believers since birth or converts; they speak dozens of languages and organise themselves in very different ways, among other diversities. We are speaking of doctrinal, linguistic, cultural and social differences, as well as ways of experiencing spirituality. Nor are two women’s communities the same. These workshops aim to recognise and place value on women and communities organised around the city, some of which go beyond mere religious institutions, which tend to be the usual spokespeople for the administration.

The workshops also aim to contribute to progress with gender equality in relation to religious traditions and demonstrating what many women and groups are already doing to this end. Greater visibility is required for initiatives that deconstruct the stereotype that “all religions are male dominated”, both at home and abroad. From this community perspective, both local and international women’s communities have been involved.

On the first day of the workshops (29 June 2022 at the Community Life Centre in Trinitat Vella), local communities were the protagonists, participating in think tanks under the heading “The past, present and future of women’s communities”. They all enriched debates that highlighted the wealth of religious pluralism in the city of Barcelona, as well as common experiences and desires. The participating communities came from different religious and spiritual backgrounds: Catholic Christianity (Alcem la veu, Association of Women in Sisterhood of Barcelona, Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna), Islam (Catalan Moroccan Women’s Association – ADMC, Catalan Muslim Women’s Association – ADMAC), Evangelical Christianity (Women in Ministry, Hillsong Sisterhood) and Buddhism (Sakyadhita Spain).

The three pillars of reflection were LEARN, DO and ASPIRE. Involving female believers and believer communities, focussing on the time horizons of the past, present and future. The debates, led by Rosa Martínez-Cuadros (LEARN), Cristina Monteys (DO) and Anna Gil-Bardají (ASPIRE), gave rise to a rich debate featuring women’s communities from across Barcelona.

LEARNING from the past, understanding and teaching

Moderator: Rosa Martínez-Cuadros

Along this line, representatives of participating communities discussed what they had learned and brought with them from the past. A series of references, ideas or concepts were used that participants, as believers, considered had been important to them and that had brought the past to the present day, encouraging them to take action. WHAT REFERENCES, IDEAS OR CONCEPTS USED ARE IMPORTANT AND INSPIRING? HOW DO WOMEN’S COMMUNITIES INTERPRET THE PAST? 

The participants highlighted that there are many female leaders in the different religious and spiritual traditions whose contributions have been suppressed, they have been relegated to supporting actors, but they are nonetheless present and their legacy is important. The Catalan Muslim Women’s Association spoke of Mary, mother of Jesus, who was “in a friary for men and stood out on account of her intelligence”; Khadija, wife of the Prophet, who “asked for his hand in marriage and was known to be a women with great power, who sought purity and truth”; Fatima al-Fihri “the first woman to found a university, in Fez”, or more recently, Ustadha Maryam Amir, a professor of Islam, who “has created the first app with women who recite the Koran”. The Moroccan Women’s Association, without going into detail about certain individuals, indicated that “the Koran teaches us to live together, we have a pure, clean reference, which is our holy book”. From the world of Evangelical Christianity, Women in Ministry referred to Loida Rodríguez who “in 1965 founded the UDME (Unión de Mujeres Evangélicas), to empower them” without overlooking the long list of women that appear in the Old Testament, including Sarah, wife of Abraham. Finally, coming to the present day, there are women who lead “different institutions and women evangelical college principals, for example”. Members of the Hillsong Church commented that many of these forgotten, suppressed or little-known women “are women who are head of their time, even in the faith itself”. From the world of Catholic Christianity, Alcem la Veu spoke of different “women who have been on the sidelines with a central force”, like Saint Teresa, “the first women to attend the Synod of Bishops, or more recently, for example, Sister Regina, who has spent more than forty years dedicated to working with people at the margins of society” and fighting for people suffering a variety of additions in Paraguay. Furthermore, the institution remarked that all these women who become points of reference are born, work and move in worlds governed by men, i.e., in completely patriarchal societies. Sakyadhita Spain asserted that “there are women in Buddhism that to this day have been affected by patriarchalism”. Despite this global social patriarchalism, the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna mentioned that their community “has never been controller by men, as women have and continue to be central to this ideology as the founder of the congregation was a strong woman and a courageous mother (Saint Joaquina Vedruna)”.

WHAT HAVE WOMEN DONE IN RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM?

Learning from the past encourages these spiritual women’s communities to reclaim their status as references, as they “are references that inspire, connect the past to the future and essence”, reflected the Catalan Muslim Women’s Association. Alcem La Veu confirmed that they recognise “women theologians that have passed down knowledge of women”, and that “means that their experiences and legacies live on”. The Hillsong Church and Women in Ministry agree that the “maximum reference is Jesus, who is the maximum defender of women” and protects the “dignity of women”. Sakyadhita Spain explained that “interdependence, interrelations between women” are necessary to work on cross-cutting themes that affect society as a whole. The Women in Sisterhoods indicated that “women have never stopped doing, even when they receive no recognition” and it is the communities themselves that uplift and demand this recognition, as “we are weaving humanity in a different way”, according to members of the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna.

This aside, members of said congregation assert “the fact that so many women’s meetings are necessary means that there is still a long way to go, if only they were no longer necessary, as that would mean that equality had been achieved”. However, it is also necessary, “as women, we have to learn to treat each other horizontally”, as reflected by the Catalan Muslim Women’s Association.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is evident that the past has a very important role to play, as no religious or spiritual tradition at present has started from scratch. We need to look to the past, but we must be aware of the importance of learning in the present because “every day is about learning”. Many women are well known for having set benchmarks amongst women’s communities and they serve as points of reference for learning. This list of actresses, who unfortunately have never been allowed to walk the red carpet, cannot be left behind. This is a challenge that we have to bear in mind. These female figures have many shared points in common across the different religious and spiritual traditions. These women have taught about the importance of sharing, debating, performing social projects that remain with us today and leading communities that remain active. We must keep an open mind to learn from one another and from people of different beliefs. However, we must not forget that these lessons and legacies are inspiring and must be taken into consideration, but they cannot be idealised. In other words, we have to continue taking action, learning, talking, etc. We have to put them into practice and take action. These lessons are essential in continuing to take action in the present and in the future.

DOING, discussing, empowering and relaying in the present

Moderator: Cristina Monteys

The following debate focussed on WHAT ARE THE PARTICIPATING WOMEN’S COMMUNITIES AND INSTITUTIONS DOING TODAY, WHAT GENERAL TASKS DO THEY PERFORM AND WHAT ARE THEIR OBJECTIVES AND MISSIONS?

Each institution from the world of Catholic Christianity has consolidated objectives. For example, the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna aim to “reflect the essence of their founder (Saint Joaquina Vedruna), an active woman dedicated to women’s growth”, working around the pillars of education, health and social factors at their centres; Alcem la Veu bring together different groups of women and have partnerships in place with national and international networks” that work to achieve “equality in the church for women, in the same conditions as men”, and the Women in Sisterhood, asserted that their institution “aims to provide information about the entities they represent, as “mutual knowledge helps to bring us closer”. From the world of Islam, women from the Catalan Muslim Women’s Association “share the pursuit for the spirit towards Islam and what it means to be Muslim”. The organise “internal meetings and reflections sessions looking at different aspects, like children’s education”. The Moroccan Women’s Association organise recreational and educational activities for its members. These give form to its “normal routines”. Institutions related to Evangelical Christianity, represented by Women in Ministry and the Hillsong Church, also perform actions and pursue purposes that not only seek to relay their faith, but, as is the case of the other institutions mentioned, aim to empower women. Women in Ministry undertakes activities “to empower women and reflect on equality between men and women” as well as promoting Christian values in the creation of and efforts dedicated to “social works”. Similarly, the regular activities of the Hillsong Church include participating in “social works and assistance programmes, remaining at the side of the most vulnerable”. Finally, from the world of Buddhism, the women from Sakyadhita Spain, fight to “include gender equality in Buddhism: we are limited in number and there is a long way to go, but we are very enthusiastic”. For example, they have created “a Decalogue for Buddhist centres on including a gender perspective”.

WHY ARE WOMEN’S SPACES AND COMMUNITIES IMPORTANT? WHY ARE THEY NECESSARY? DO THEY MAKE SENSE? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO THEY PROVIDE AND WHAT CHALLENGES DO THEY FACE?

In response to these important issues, a variety of answers were offered. “They come about naturally and are very necessary, as they are spaces for care and security and promote spirituality from a female perspective in traditions that have been staunchly masculine”, said women from the Catalan Muslim Women’s Association. Women in Ministry highlighted that “women foster stronger relations and relay values, together we are stronger, we have something to offer and can take action. Women are a critical part of our society and it is important to be able to share experiences between ourselves and different generations of women”. This sense of sharing was also very present amongst Women in Sisterhood, who said that “sharing our lives with others is essential and vital” with Alcem la Veu and Sakyadhita Spain adding that “we must share spaces, concerns and requirements, sometimes reclaiming them. However, it is important to bear in mind that this sense of sharing, this desire to come together and create a community, is necessary and essential to face the challenges, insecurities and difficulties we face, but also to create opportunities”. Consideration must also be given, as reflected by members of the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna, that “we are not by ourselves, but there are also other groups working towards transforming society”.

As part of this debate, the matter was raised as to whether the participating communities HAD OR HAD EVER CONSIDERED PROPOSING AN INTER-RELIGIOUS NETWORK FOR FEMALE DEBATE.

Women in Ministry asserted that “sharing with other traditions is always an enriching experience”, while the Catalan Muslim Women’s Association asserted that “faith knows no colour”. “There can be no ideological boundary when it comes to transformation”, reflected the Hillsong Church. Adding that “by coming together with other traditions, we find the coherence of being”. With this in mind, dialogue and sharing are the fundamental bases for enriching oneself individually and together, not just in women’s communities, but as society as a whole.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is obvious that women’s communities don’t happen by themselves, they come about as part of positive and negative lessons learned. Negative lessons, as women have inherited a way of viewing and experiencing spirituality and religion that tends to suppress them, to relegate them to a secondary role. As a result, all the participating communities concluded that, amongst the activities and actions performed, a very important part must be dedicated to empowering women, recognising their capabilities, their knowledge, etc., and enhancing other ways of reading and interpreting. And this is achieved through spaces for the self-representation of women. If there are spaces in which women are present in the life of a community, this can help work towards a more spiritual education and to work with others. Because it is evident that spirituality without action, without transforming the world around us, makes no sense.

Women’s spaces, women’s communities come about organically. They respond to the genuine need for spaces in which to share, in which to feel cared for and secure and sometimes, there are no other spaces. Sharing, to a certain extent, is also a counter-cultural, even revolutionary, gesture, against a social backdrop of growing individualism, in which the dynamics of the capitalist world are seeing us lose community spaces, meeting spaces, spaces for us to come together on a wider scale. It is critical to have spaces in which to learn together, to grow together, to make proposals together from a female perspective, also reclaiming the visibility of women, putting this experience that has sometimes been relegated to the margins front and centre. These are spaces of transgression, of learning from other women that are not “mine”, of allowing ourselves to be transformed by somebody else.

ASPIRING, dreaming, transforming and debating for the future

Moderator: Anna Gil-Bardají

WHAT ARE THE DESIRES OF TRANSFORMATION? WHAT ARE THE ASPIRATIONS AND DREAMS OF SPIRITUAL WOMEN’S COMMUNITIES?

Women’s communities face challenges for the future, dreams of transformation and changes as part of religious and spiritual traditions and within the patriarchal institutions they form part of. These desires of transformation vary and respond to different needs and objectives, from more specific to more general aspirations, many associated with breaking free of lasting stereotypes. There are many challenges we have to work on and stigmas to deconstruct. In spite of everything, one of the most obvious challenges, as mentioned by the Hillsong Church, is “empowering women, and not just achieving this but maintaining this”, getting to a point where it is no longer necessary to “constantly fight for a woman’s value in order for her to achieve her dreams”. Women in Ministry added that “we still have to break down stereotypes both inside and outside the different traditions”, as women “in the Evangelical world and within the congregation, talk about their faith, but when they go outside this circle, they do not feel safe to talk about it, in general. We need to break down barriers”. This transformation, as reflected by the Catalan Muslim Women’s Association aims to “change society, and this starts at home”. Its members added that the Muslim community “needs social dignity and this also means dignifying Muslim women”. We have to “create our own European Muslim culture”, based on the “value of religion being consciousness and coherence”. The Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna asserted that we “are in dark times”, but that they hope that it is possible to redirect this towards a positive transformation. Its members highlighted that “in Europe, getting committed laypersons involved has become a hope against a backdrop of a lack of belief and ageing populations”. The changes must be faced “together and from different traditions” as we have to “believe and build together, we cannot be separated”. We cannot be left behind, in the words of Alcem la Veu, who pursues “a celebration of what we are and what we have been” while reclaiming a “change in structures, as this will be beneficial to all women and secularity as a whole”. They added that “we need to look towards young people […] even though there is a stigma when it comes to religion, we have to set an example and work from the perspective of ‘building’ something”. When it comes to structure, institutions, Women in Sisterhood seek “access for all women to ministries, equal access” asserting that this aspiration “must go hand in hand with a commitment”. More specifically, from the world of Buddhism, represented by Sakyadhita Spain, the desire is for the “Dalai Lama to be a women”, as, in the context of the global status of women’s spiritual communities, “cultures are patriarchal, which is why we have reached this situation We have to start by changing this image”. Here, the Moroccan Women’s Association asserts that Islam “has to change the mentality of society in general, not the Koran, for example, as in family and social settings, behaviours and conducts are repeated that are not reflected in the book, rather they are relayed socially”.

ARE CIRCLES OF DIALOGUE, ROUND TABLES AND MEETINGS NECESSARY IN THE FUTURE? WILL THE TOPICS DISCUSSED, THE NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS CONTINUE TO BE ADDRESSED AND REFLECTED ON IN THE FUTURE?

Members of the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Vedruna asserted that these spaces exist because “if we are here, it is because there is still work to do”, in other words, “there is still a long way to go, and the journey ahead is so long that other spaces must be encouraged. This is where women’s voices are the strongest”, asserted the Hillsong Church. However, it is also clear that women’s groups make sense, leaving the utopia of the end of the struggle to one side. “These spaces are necessary”, reflected the Women in Ministry, as “we cannot imagine a non-space for women. These circles will always exist”, assert Alcem la Veu. The Catalan Muslim Women’s Association said that these circles provide the tools to combat stereotypes, for example. As regards Islam, they said “women who are more visible [as they wear the hijab] suffer because we raise the stigma about being religious women”. Women in Sisterhood added that these circles and topics “will continue to exist because there will continue to be relationships of power, whether men or women are at the top of the pyramid”.

CONCLUSIONS:

Here is where reflections about dreams, aspirations, changes and transformations in communities took on a wide perspective and depended on different factors: the weight of the institution and organisational structure, the stereotypes perpetuated throughout society by different religious or spiritual traditions, etc. A wider variety of desires have been expressed as well as desires that have materialised. Generally speaking, aspirations have a cross-cutting connotation about building networks and placing an emphasis on young people, with future generations taking up the baton of change. Many agree that women must have access to all functions at institutions that are currently occupied or governed by men.

It is evident that, one way or another, the meetings, circles, workshops and other spaces made up of and integrated by women are necessary. Although, some participants indicated that if, in the future, such spaces no longer existed, that would mean that their aims had been achieved and that women were in an equal position to men. Nonetheless, other participants cannot imagine a time when these circles of sisterhood, exchange and co-creation of projects between women are no longer necessary. Even if, in a utopian future, this equality, this equity is achieved, it would be a good idea for female ways of doing things to be introduced and for women to continue impose horizontal or circular models of exchange, which might not be implemented if it were not for women’s perspective.