CCA calls for action to make justice accessible for all women and girls on International Women’s Day 2026

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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06 March 2026

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) marked International Women’s Day 2026 with a statement released on 8 March, calling for renewed commitment to justice, accountability, and protection for women and girls across Asia.

Reflecting on this year’s theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls,” CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara emphasised that meaningful progress requires moving beyond commitments on paper towards real and enforceable change.

“Across Asia and beyond, women have never been closer to equality in principle, yet progress remains uneven and easily reversed. Despite legal protections on paper, weak enforcement, entrenched patriarchal norms, and systemic bias continue to undermine women’s rights in many countries,” said Dr Chunakara.

The statement highlighted that women seeking justice often face deeply rooted barriers, including fear of retaliation, stigma, disbelief, and slow or costly legal processes. These challenges are often compounded for women experiencing intersecting forms of discrimination.

The CCA General Secretary stated, “It is only when commitments are translated into action that we can reach the goal of justice that women can access, navigate, and trust. Justice for women and girls means non-discrimination, gender equality, safety from harm, dignity in being heard and believed, meaningful remedies and support, and the prevention of further violence.”

Dr Chunakara called on CCA member churches and councils, and ecumenical partners across Asia, “to speak clearly and consistently against all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls, ensuring that our Christian witness is embodied not only in words but also in action.”

The statement further encouraged churches to listen to survivors with compassion, uphold their dignity, and accompany them in their pursuit of justice. It also emphasised the need for sustained advocacy to dismantle structural and social barriers that continue to limit women’s access to justice.

The full text of the CCA General Secretary’s Statement on International Women’s Day 2026 can be found here: