’Through Self-help Groups Christian Women Should Achieve Empowerment’ - Bishop Gerald Lobo

By Alphonse Mendonca
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi/Shirva, 21 Oct: “In order to achieve all-round development, Christian women should avail the opportunities provided by the self-help groups and aim at their empowerment by joining the main stream of society’, said Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi Diocese. He was speaking at the rally of Women’s Organization of Shirva Deanery included in the Federation of Women’s Self-help Groups of Kaup region on Sunday, 21 October 2018 at Don Bosco Auditorium in Shirva.

 

Speaking further, the Bishop said that empowering Christian women economically is one of the ten chief aims of Women’s Organization. In this direction, Udupi Diocese has been active since the last five years. A lot of work has been in progress to organize women right from the parish level to forming federation at the state level.

 

Through self-help groups Christian women are being organized at the diocesan level. True empowerment of women is possible only when women  take initiative  in organizing themselves. Though women are no longer confined to four walls of their homes, it is necessary to empower them especially in economic terms. In this way through self-help groups self reliance can be achieved. 

 

Today, women are in the forefront of  the Udupi Diocese and their impact can be seen even in the political sphere. There are 67 Christian women members right from village panchayat to zilla panchayat in the Udupi District. When women play an important role in political field, it becomes easier to achieve general empowerment of women.

 

 

Fr. Denis D’Sa, Dean of Shirva Deanery presided over the programme. The guests of honour at the programme included: Fr. Reginald Pinto, Spiritual Director of Diocesan Women’s Organization, Fr. Roque D’Souza, Spiritual Director of Women’s Organization of Shirva Deanery, Sr. Jannet Fernandes, Animator of Udupi Diocesan Women’s Organization, Jannet Barboza, President of Women’s Organization, Udupi Diocese,  Treeza Machado, President of Shirva Deanery and Secretary Sunitha Noronha.