Virginia Saldanha is a theologian based in Mumbai and a member of the Sisters in Solidarity and the Indian Christian Women's Movement. She earlier has represented laity, family and women's issues in organizations of Asian and Indian bishops.
Show full bio ↓
Mulakkal verdict leaves nuns more vulnerable to clergy sex abuse
GSR Today - As long as the clergy continue to enjoy the inordinate power that comes with ordination, the vulnerable among the people of God will continue to experience abuse, and nuns are among the most vulnerable.
The power of religion over women in India
Men have been dominant as recipients, interpreters and transmitters of divine messages, while women have largely remained passive receivers of teachings and ardent practitioners of religious rituals. Attitudes developed around patriarchal interpretations of religious belief have defined and shaped the social and cultural contexts of Indian women resulting in their disempowerment and second-class status. In India, where politics uses religion as a tool to manipulate the masses, women bear the brunt of the consequences of cultural attitudes and the impact of religion and politics.