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ERADICATING GENDER INEQUALITY AMONG WOMEN OF COLOR WORLDWIDE

An Initiative of the First Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society African Methodist Episcopal Church

BISHOP GREGORY G. M. INGRAM Presiding Prelate

REV. DR. JESSICA KENDALL INGRAM Episcopal Supervisor

MRS. JEWEL D. MCASHAN District WMS President

L. LYNN ROCHESTER District YPD Director

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My Dear Missionary Sisters and Brothers,

I am extremely excited to bring a new initiative to the First

Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal

Church. It’s called Project Possible. God gave me that

name for this undertaking because, with Him, all things are possible, even gender equality, which continues to

elude poor and disadvantaged women of color around

the globe.

A Message

from the

Episcopal

Supervisor

All women—regardless of the nation they call home, the color of their skin or their economic status—have a right to the full and

unfettered enjoyment of human rights. Moreover, they deserve

an equal opportunity to rise to their full potential. Through Project

Possible, the Missionaries of the First Episcopal District will be

working tirelessly to make those goals a reality for women of

color worldwide, beginning in the First Episcopal District.

Since the commencement of my life in ministry, my calling has

been to improve the plight of underprivileged and underserved

women who have been shamefully marginalized, both in the

United States and abroad. With your help—and that of the God

of the Possible—we will be able to replace gender inequalities

and the constraints that hold women back with parity and

empowerment at every level of their existence.

Please join me in making Project Possible a top priority.

With rejoicing in the possible,

Rev. Jessica

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Why Project Possible? “It cannot be denied that progress has been

made in many areas for women of color.

As Missionaries in the African Methodist

Episcopal Church, we must take an aggressive

approach in addressing the issues that confront

women both here in the United States and

globally. The challenges women face in this

21st century are multidimensional. It is time for

women to receive what is rightfully theirs.

It cannot be denied that progress has been made

in many areas for women of color. Nonetheless,

gender inequalities still persist in a wide range of

areas. UNESCO (the United Nations Education,

Scientific and Cultural Organization) reports

that violence against women, gendered poverty

and women’s exclusion from decision-making

in political and economic life are but a few

examples of issues that must be resolved. The

disparities exist at every level of our society, not

only in the United States, but throughout the

global community. They exist in the corporate

world, the political arena, in families, in

education and, sadly, also in the Church.

Women still have a higher percentage of

unemployment than men. Although more

females graduate from college than males, they

receive less pay. There are countless numbers of

women who cannot afford decent housing and

who are homeless. They don’t have adequate

health care or access to positive child-care

facilities. Many are the victims of domestic

violence and, because of living in desperate

situations, have turned to drugs. In the global

community, HIV/AIDS is affecting thousands

of women. Young girls are the victims of sex

trafficking. Receiving an education is denied to

women in other countries. And the list goes on.

Nonetheless, gender inequalities still persist

in a wide range of areas.”

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“Through Project Possible, our hope is to

work to overcome the challenges faced by

women, both locally and globally.”

Through Project Possible, our hope is to work to

overcome the challenges faced by women, both

locally and globally. Clearly, women of color

are confronting multitudinous issues of gender

inequality that many believe are impossible

to surmount.

But we know better.

Through Project Possible, we can help turn their

lives around. Thus, gender inequality is one of

the Millennium Goals of the International WMS

that we will address during this quadrennial.

The theme for this year ’s NGO (Non-

governmental Organization) is, “Getting from

Here to There: Our Journey to Women’s Global

Health and Human Dignity.” As members of

the First Episcopal District Women’s Missionary

Society, we fully embrace this theme and

will work to make it a reality. We believe this

is possible because we are committed to

getting women from here to there—to jobs, to

education, to adequate health care, to freedom

from forced enslavement and human trafficking,

to economic independence. We believe this to

be possible, because we believe in the God

of Possibilities.

But Jesus looked at them and said,

“With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible.”

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From Here to There Is Possible: The Process “Project Possible Coordinators need not

be officers of the Conference,

Phase I: 2013-2014 – Conference Branch Involvement

• The Second Vice President of the First

Episcopal District will serve as the Project Possible Manager. She will work closely

with the Conference Branch Presidents and

Project Possible Coordinators.

• Conference Branch Presidents will share

Project Possible brochures with members

of their respective conferences. They may choose the most appropriate time to do

so, such as at an Executive Board Meeting,

Annual Conference or the like.

• Conference Branch Presidents will choose

two Project Possible Coordinators. These

persons need not be officers of the

Conference, but should be individuals who

demonstrate compassion, interest, spiritual

gifts, professional skills and commitment

to issues confronting women of color.

The names of the Project Possible Coordinators should be sent to the Supervisor and the District President.

• Project Possible Coordinators will work under

the direction of the Conference Branch

Presidents, the Project Possible Manager

and other designated persons. Collectively,

they will choose the single focus for

each Conference’s project. They are

encouraged to think creatively and “outside

of the box.” This initiative is not to be a

duplication of already existing programs,

unless they fall within the focus of Project

Possible. They must become ongoing,

sustainable programs. (This is not about

a onetime program put on by the WMS).

Consideration can be giving to

the following:

but should be individuals who demonstrate

compassion, interest, spiritual gifts,

professional skills and commitment to issues

confronting women of color.

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“One Billion Rising is a call to give up

the dark corridors of helplessness and

loneliness and to march ahead toward the

unlimited flow of Energy that is Woman.”

– by Sajitha R. Shankhar

“One Billion Rising is a global campaign to

stop violence against women and girls.”

– http://onebillionrising.org/

• Conduct Job Training Seminars

• Create an Online Business

• Develop a Not-for Profit Business

• Develop a Women’s Center that addresses

specific issues, such as homelessness,

domestic violence and/or substance abuse

(Visit the web site:

http://onebillionrising.org/)

• Encourage Self-Publishing

• Engage in Education-Resource Partnering

for Higher Education

• Establish Entrepreneurial, Income-Producing

Business Ventures for Unemployed and

Underemployed Women

• Offer Microloans to support

entrepreneurship, alleviate poverty

and empower women

(Visit the web site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcredit)

• Partner with the Public School System

• Produce Films and Documentaries

• Spearhead Political Involvement and

Advocate for Legislation that assists

disadvantaged women

Project Possible Coordinators will address these questions:

• Who will we serve?

• How will we serve them?

• What resources are needed

to serve them?

• How will we secure the

necessary resources?

• How will we measure the

effectiveness of our service?

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Project Possible – A Work in Progress “After establishing our work at the

Conference and District levels, we will then

• Coordinators should develop a timeline

for the Project.

• Coordinators should seek resource persons

outside of the WMS.

• Coordinators will submit the initial Project Possible Focus for approval to their

respective Conference Branch President

and the Project Possible Manager.

• Conference Branch Project Initiatives

will be approved by the Supervisor and

District President.

• Initial plans will be presented by each

Conference Branch at the 2013

Planning Meeting.

• The final plans for each Conference

Branch will be presented by an engaging

PowerPoint or video presentation at the

Fall WMS Luncheon.

• Each Conference Branch will have

a professionally displayed table with

information on its Project Possible Focus.

Phase II: 2013-2014 – Fall WMS Luncheon

The September WMS Luncheon will focus on

Project Possible. The program will be planned by

the Project Possible Manager, in conjunction with

all Project Possible Conference Coordinators.

Phase III: 2013-2014 – Advisory Council

We will establish a Project Possible Advisory

Council. The Council will consist of women who

have demonstrated a concern for the work of the WMS, who have an affinity for women’s social-

justice issues, who are involved in community

organizations and who possess the required gifts

and professional skills. The Council will craft

the focus of Project Possible at the District level.

Plans will be presented in 2014 at either the Fall

Convocation or Founder’s Day.

Phase IV: 2014-2015 – International Expansion

After establishing our work at the Conference

and District levels (working to make things

possible in our communities and cities), we

will then transition to our International Focus.

Because we will have established a solid,

domestic foundation, we will be in a position

to determine where to expend our energies to

tackle the gender-inequality concerns facing

women of color worldwide.

transition to our International Focus.”

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ERADICATING GENDER INEQUALITY AMONG WOMEN OF COLOR WORLDWIDE

An Initiative of the First Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society

African Methodist Episcopal Church

MARGARET “PEG” DAVIS

Project Possible Chairperson

Bermuda Conference Branch President: Valerie A. Smith

Delaware Conference Branch President: Wanda Hunt

New England Conference Branch President: Edwina Mays

New Jersey Conference Branch President: Patricia Smith

New York Conference Branch President: Shermanita Dixon

Philadelphia Conference Branch President: Connie Smith

Western New York Conference Branch President: Charmaine Cohen-Johnson

First Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society - AMEC | 3801 Market Street | Suite 300 | Philadelphia, PA 19104 | 215.662.0506 | http://www.1stdistrictwms.com