The Kerala Scene: Girls forced to join convents?

Media reports say that the State Women’s Commission (SWC) has made, after studying a complaint it received, the following recommendations to the government regarding admitting nuns to the convents:

1. Ensure that girls below the age of 18 are not forcibly enrolled as nuns
2. Implement a scheme to rehabilitate women who leave the convents.

There cannot be any dispute on these. In fact, the first point should apply to marriages as well. No person should be compelled to act against her/his will. It is worthwhile noting here that a Catholic marriage is annulled by the Church if defective consent is proved.

Another suggestion by the SWC is that a girl’s share of her family wealth should remain in her own name and not vest with the convent she joins. This can raise some questions.

Would it interfere with the fundamental right of citizen to handle his/her wealth? What about the many poor girls who join as nuns? How would they be provided for? When a person joins a community with full consent is not that person bound to follow the rules of that community? Can there be a meaningful religious group consisting of rich members and poor members?

To a lay mind the effect of this recommendation would be that a nun’s share of her ancestral property could go to anyone else or to the government but not to the convent of which she is a member. Somehow that doesn’t seem fair.

The SWC affirms that it does not want to tamper with matters relating to faith.

The major churches in Kerala have come out with clarifications:

1. No person under the age of 18 can be accepted as priest or nun.
2. Only if there were full consent their training would start.
3. There is no compulsion that a girl should donate her share of the family wealth to the convent she joins.
4. Even after the final wows are taken, a person can leave the vocation.
5. Help is extended for rehabilitating those who leave the convents.

The Church authorities should have explained all these to the SWC. But it is not clear whether they were given a chance to do so.

Ends.

Also see: Vedas, Syrian Christians

Trafficking in women.

Did you know that India is a major destination for trafficking in women and children? So says a UN report. The country is a source and transit point as well.

Globally, human trafficking is the third largest criminal business after arms and drugs. It is estimated that annually this activity generates an income of 7 to 12 billion US Dollars. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that the operators pocket an additional 32 billion USD when the victims are delivered at the destination.

I happened to look into this matter, on reading an article that is included in the January issue of Inside the Vatican. It is about the Italian nun, Sr. Eugenia Bonetti, M.C who is doing commendable work in the anti-trafficking field. What caught my attention particularly was the statement, “millions of women are trafficked in India”. It sounded exaggerated.

On cross-checking I found other sources endorsing the estimate. This involves men, women and children for work and sexual exploitation. 90% of India’s sex trafficking is internal according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

However, Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, is reported to have said, "All figures are rough estimates. But it's believed to run in hundreds of thousands."

Inside the Vatican says, “Trafficking thrives where poverty, economic disparity and lack of employment opportunities exist. Women make up 70% of the world’s poor and bear the heaviest burden.”

How to tackle the problem effectively? The INTERPOL wants improvement and increase in international collaboration and law enforcement. In India, the National Commission for Women has submitted some suggestions to the authorities.

Sr. Eugenia Bonetti, M.C. has inspired USMI, a coalition of 627 women’s congregations. It runs several shelters where the victims of trafficking are offered safety and help to rebuild their lives. Sr. Eugenia has also taken the leadership in launching an international anti-trafficking network, which is the first of its kind.

This good sister is on the list of Inside the Vatican’s top ten people of 2007.

Ends.

Also see:

Quick ways to make a difference

Savage Kerala