Vol. 21 No. 1, March 2002

In God's Image is an Asian Christian women's effort to provide a forum for expressing our reality, our struggles, our faith reflections and aspirations for change.

Editorial

The theme "Women and Alternative Leadership" implies a discontent with the prevailing and dominant type of leadership. Asian women have named this type of leadership as aggressive, hierarchical, commanding, and authority-centred. 

The theme also implies women's commitment to search for alternatives. Since Asian women find the prevailing type of leadership rather wanting, they believe that there are alternatives; there must be alternatives. They have characterized these types as relational, egalitarian, empathetic, empowering, nurturing and group-centred. 

Through this edition, In God's Image wishes to celebrate what some Asian women have tried out and discovered as alternative models of leadership. It is not so much to say that only women are capable of these alternative models. In fact, many qualities of these alternative models can be gleaned in Jesus' ways and teachings. Jesus called his disciples (i.e., his students or followers) his friends. He taught them about serving one another. He emphasized that greatness is not in being served but in doing the serving; that finding one's life results from losing it. In today's jargon it can be taken to mean that greatness or power is found only when one stops searching for it; that it is not so much to benefit oneself but to benefit others; that it is not so much in making oneself stronger, richer, and more popular but in the risk-taking act of empowering, enabling and enriching others. 

Through this edition, In God's Image wants to say that because many women have suffered so much under the prevailing traditional type of leadership - they have been made to serve, obey and to fulfil the needs and follies of those in privileged positions - they are more able to long for, dream, and try out alternatives and possibilities. There are of course some men who are critical of the prevailing leadership style. And there are also some women who have been co-opted into it, mainly to survive or simply because of the lack of an alternative. This edition then celebrates the attempts of some Asian women who dared to model the alternative leadership styles.

Contributions to this edition reflect various experiences of Asian women. One affirms that women leaders are in fact "wounded healers" - wounded yet called on to help heal the pain and suffering of others. Gleaning from grassroots experiences, another affirms that there is power in shared leadership and that this type of leadership is very much rooted in faith. Using the lens of education, one affirms that women who are generally involved in education in fact are already carrying out a nurturing leadership style. 

Many of the contributions have also drawn lessons from biblical women's experiences of leadership. Several have tried to find some examples from their national or ethnic contexts. Hence, we have stories from the Philippines, India and Indonesia, as well as from Asian women now living in Canada and the USA. Stories of political women leaders in the recent history of the Philippines and Indonesia have led the contributors to affirm that the power of a leader is not so much in the ability to dominate and command others but really to empower them. The stories of Asian women now living in the West show how parts of one's national or ethnic context continue to shape one's thinking and ways of doing things. 

This edition also includes a reflection on the impact of the Beijing Conferences on Women in India. Since those conferences were aimed at alleviating the plight of women, among other things, it is just right to see how much of that aim is really being followed through and how much has truly been done to empower women.

Finally, there is also a sharing on the AWRC experience of a program done in partnership with women in Cambodia - Women's Alternative Leadership for Transformation. This describes an example of AWRC's commitment to more alternative models of leadership which truly empower and nurture women. 

I would like to offer thanks to those who have contributed to this edition and best wishes to all the Asian women who, despite all odds, have dared to make a difference as leaders of today!

Publications Secretary

If articles listed in the table of contents interests you, and you would like to have a copy of this journal, please write to igi@awrc4ct.org.