Introduction:

Christianity reached Ethiopia in the first century AD (Acts 8:26-40). The church was organised at bishopric level and started to administer the Holy Sacraments in the 4th century AD. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has at present more than 37 million followers; 225,000 parish churches and over 300,000 clergy. The Department to which I belong is the organisation responsible for the social and development activities of the Church. My original training was as a nurse and I worked in this profession for many years. I have participated in many national programmes, working to eliminate harmful cultural practices affecting the health of women and children.

When I search for the feminine images within our Christian tradition which have nurtured my spiritual life, I find the most significant woman saint to have a big impact on my life is the Ethiopian Orthodox saint, Christos Samra. Christos Samra was born in central Ethiopia at the end of the I3th century. She was married and had twelve children. She entered the great monastery of Debre Libanos in central Ethiopia in the year 1428. Later she moved to another monastery in north-west Ethiopia. She was called the "Mother of Peace". She encouraged and taught people to prey for peace between God and the devil as she believed that the devil was the background of all evil things, and that there would only be peace in the world if there was peace between God and the devil.

This feminine image of Christos Samra has left a great imprint on me as the question of peace in our country has preoccupied my mind and the minds of all our people in the last thirty years when an unending civil war has torn down the very fabric of our society. I have always in my own way and according to my own precepts identified evil actors who were behind the sufferings and agony of our people. It has come to my mind that if these evil actors could somehow be tamed and brought under control, the sufferings would come to an end. Christos Samra has always in this situation been uppermost in my mind. In my own personal experiences I have tried to mediate conflicts by working even with the wrongdoers in order to have a lasting peace and love among groups of people. However, my experiences have shown that it is difficult to reconcile good and evil doers as they share in our world mutual interdependency for their existence. Despite these negative results still the spirit of Christos Samra remains as a prime mover in my social activities for the cause of peace and reconciliation.

The most important feminine image within our Christian tradition is of course, St Mary, the bearer of Our Lord who occupies a very important place within the tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. St Mary is continually called to intercede and pray for us. She is remembered in the daily prayer.

Next to the Lord's Prayer comes the prayer "Hail Mary". Every prayer book of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church consists of the Book of Psalms and the praise of St Mary. Thirty three. days of the annual calendar are dedicated to St Mary. A book called the Miracle of St Mary is read every Sunday and in each of the thirty three days dedicated to St Mary, There is also a liturgy called "St Mary Liturgy" which is conducted on her special days in our church.

Sixteen days preceeding her Assumption, which in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Calendar falls in the month of August, St Mary is remembered by the observance of a fasting period in which children and elders all participate. Orthodox Christians, especially the women form themselves into associations and gather together on one of St Mary's days preparing food and drinks to share with those most needy in the spirit of Agape. Icons and paintings representing St Mary are very abundant within our church. The walls of the churches of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have paintings related to St Mary where the faithful give special Veneration to the All Holy Mother of God. Icons and paintings of St Mary with the Child adorn the altar.

There is some distinction in the kind of roles male and females have in different activities and life of our church. The priesthood for example is the same situation as in the Catholic Church and all other Orthodox churches - it is reserved only for males. ,Some minor roles, although without ordination, may be adopted by women in the category of the diaconate. Women have an important role in the pre- eucharistic preparation, but they have no role in the eucharistic service. The seating arrangement within the churches is also gender based, the right side is reserved for women, and the left hand side is reserved for men. The women have also been absent in the traditional church choir groups, however, at present more and more young women are becoming active in the choir.

From the earliest times women have been represented in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church according to their inclinations and special vocations especially in teaching, social and missionary work of the church. Their degree of participation and scope have not been defined and restricted by ecclesiological principles but perhaps more so by the prevalent mentality and cultural outlook of their society. At present, along with the increasing breakthrough in secular society in relation to the role of women, a wider and more visible area of participation of women is emerging both in the diakonia of the Church and church women in society at large.

Women participate in the different activities of their parish councils. They occupy prominent positions in nationwide welfare programmes and in fundraising campaigns for the repair and re-construction of churches. Women preach in many churches during the holidays. There are also very many young women teachers in Sundays Schools. There are a few women who occupy the chairs in Church Education in the higher theological schools. Women assist in ushering people during church services, distribute Holy Water before and after the Mass. They collect contributions from the congregations assembled to attend the church service.

In the monasteries women undertake agricultural, handicraft and other development activities. The income generated from such activity is directed to the support of the monastery and other welfare programmes. Women constitute the majority of the population in Ethiopia. Various cultural, economic and political factors have over the years acted as major impediments in the struggle for the self realization of women. It is only recently that the legal safeguards on the special rights of women have been recognized and accepted.

The Women in Development Department has been opened with the highest level of Government support. I have the conviction that women should, in the coming years, participate in all facets of our national life if our development goals are going to mean anything.