Ruth Choi, Link woman for Korea, and Phoebe Griswold, Link woman for The Episcopal Church USA, have been working together during the Griswold's visit to the Korean Province.

Ruth has been showing Phoebe the work going on for Gender Equity in government and in church and ecumenical organizations. Two of the most emotional grass roots visits were to Deborah's Home, an environmentally healthy home for battered women, and a night time visit to see the work being done to free women from the cycle of prostitution. Because of the deep roots of Korea's values from Confucius women have met many obstacles for their full participation in society. Now many groups are participating in a broad-based social movement for Gender Equity. And Anglican Korean women are deeply committed to this societal change.

Phoebe being the visitor to the Province has observed many similarities between Korea's work for women and that of the US.

First of all, the new vocabulary for women's empowerment uses the word feminism less frequently and uses instead the words of Gender Equity, Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Budgeting. The word "gender" implies both men and women working in a healthy balance. The National Council of Christian Churches in Korea has just launched a curriculum for churches called Gender Equity that has on its cover a scale that weighs men and women in a balance. This new phase of the gender movement will be more invitational to men to join and hopefully will be more popular with women as well and will help social change along for this era.

Second of all, we both have a long way to go to change attitudes in our societies about women as leaders, but the church is a good place to work on this for many reasons. The concept supporting Gender Equity is consistent with our Christian faith, God created men and women equally. God wants all peoples' gifts to heal the hurting world. These truths give us all energy.

Thirdly, it is clear that Anglican women are participating in a global social movement for women's full participation in working towards the welfare of the world. We are hopeful for what we can achieve by working together through the IAWN and other women's groups throughout the Anglican Communion.

The friendship and solidarity of two link women spending several weeks together has been a blessing. We would recommend:

1. The planning of a gathering by the IAWN for link women.
2. We would also ask for more clarity on our roles. We see ourselves as a bridge of information between the IAWN and its goals and the people in our province as they work on Gender Equity. However, if there is no Gender Desk in a Province who takes the authority of the Link seriously and who also has a voice in the structures of the Church it is very difficult for the Link to communicate to the Province.
3. We hope that the information that comes thru the links would lead to the IAWN presenting specific recommendations to the ACC at their next meeting for the sake of women's empowerment and that would further the work of ACC 13/31

Finally, We, Ruth and Phoebe, are grateful that we are one in the Spirit and have shared the joy of being together and working as women for the healing of the world.

November 2007