Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Sister Marina Martínez González, a Spanish member of the Teresian Carmelite Missionaries has spent more than 20 years in Africa promoting the conditions of women in different countries Democratic Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda. Sister Marina, whose main objective is to help women realise their dignity, told Fides about her work and about African women in general: “They show great strength and acceptance at times of suffering. They hardly ever complain. These women are capable of very hard work in the fields from morning to night. Mothers are the head of the family. Besides doing the hardest work they look after the children, provide food, pay for clothing and schooling... Once the work in the fields is done, women collect wood and start to cook the family meal. Yet they are isolated. Women are expected to work, have children and to keep quiet. They are not allowed to speak or have any rights. In Africa you see women walking along the streets carrying enormous burdens and perhaps even a child which also has a bundle on its back, while the husband walks beside them carrying nothing. There is a lot to be done for women in Africa and we missionaries feel it is our duty to help women realise their dignity as daughters of God.”
Among the ways of helping the promotion of women Africa, Sister Marina gives priority to helping them realise their dignity as human persons. “For many people in Africa women are machines not persons. They do have not the same rights as men, they are not allowed to voice their opinions. In this situation many women begin to drink and alcoholism among women is a serious problem. But the problem is even more serious among men and the consequences are very often violence against women”. Basic education is another priority because the cultural level of women is very low. Missionaries teach them basic notions, hygiene, healthy feeding, marriage, home management.
Sister Marina concludes her testimony recalling that in this delicate work of human promotion she and the other Sisters have never felt rejected: “Women missionaries are usually accepted as people of God and we are trusted by the people. For example when they earn some money, because they are not able to save and would spend it immediately, they ask us to look after it. Other times they come to us to share their problems, to ask for advice on all sorts of matters. For them the Church is a point of reference and the best service of evangelisation we can offer is to be examples with a coherent style of life and testimony of love.” (R.G.) (Fides Service 2/2/2004; lines 33; words 492)
