Time and time again, it is women who bare the brunt of abusing regimes, the cycle of poverty and in this case, corporate abuse. It shouldn’t be a surprise that according to the United Nations, women perform 66% of the world’s work and produce 50% of the food, but earn 10% of the income and own 1% of the property. Throughout history, women have been treated as inferior and have been subject to abuse; physically, emotionally, spiritually and economically.

This issue’s Pray & Post Card, highlights the plight of female contract workers in South Africa, producing fruit for supermarkets such as Tesco. Gertruida’s story of a life of hardship is perhaps not as shocking as some of the stories we share with you in the Pray & Post Cards. She does still have a job which allows her to survive, just. However, Gertruida’s situation is nevertheless still infringing on her human rights of a living wage, freedom from physical abuse and sexual discrimination. But the real injustice here is that Gertruida, rather than an extreme case, is the norm in most countries around the world. Gertruida is not unusual.

And yet, how well are women valued as equal human beings in our so called liberal democracy in which women are still paid on average 17% lower than their male counterparts? How seriously do we take sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace? Or the plight of single mothers who have been left to bring up their children on her own, with virtually no help, and certainly no respect from our society?

How does our attitude reflect a God of justice, mercy and compassion? Put bluntly, what would Jesus say to our society’s attitude of complacency towards the suffering and injustices women face around the world everyday? Surely, the prominence of women in Jesus’ ministry reveals the countercultural value He places on women and their value in society, whether in the home or the workplace. We should indeed, try to model this. We must hear His call to love ALL our neighbours who are need.

Let us pray that God will reveal his heart for women to us and convict us to pray for them all over the world. Pray that God would help us to love them, whether it means lifting them if prayer, giving money to help their cause or empowering them in our own society.