{"id":18305,"date":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-bb.worldea.org\/growing-global-women-leaders-from-the-majority-world\/"},"modified":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"1970-01-01T00:00:00","slug":"growing-global-women-leaders-from-the-majority-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldea.org\/fr\/growing-global-women-leaders-from-the-majority-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Former des femmes leaders mondiales issues des pays en d\u00e9veloppement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Inspired by Margot Lee Shetterly\u2019s famous book and subsequent blockbuster, Hidden Figures<\/em>, on NASA women of color, Nijay Gupta at the University of Durham began to unearth the stories of ancient women who may have been \u2018lost to history.\u2019[1]<\/sup> He attempted to investigate \u2018comprehensively\u2019<\/em> the biblical times and culture, concluding, \u2018I began to see the women that were there all along (just like the women of NASA in the twentieth century). . . . They are often key characters.\u2019[2]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women have always been grassroots leaders. But in the 21st<\/sup> century, women are transitioning from being grassroot leaders in the local Christian context to global leaders in the global Christian context. World Christianity today is already considered a women\u2019s movement, as we witness the dramatic shift in global Christianity towards the Global South, with over 65 percent of all Christians living in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania in 2020.[3]<\/sup> Historian Dana Robert proposes that this global demographic shift can be considered a women\u2019s movement because women are the major participants in the daily life of Christian activities.[4]<\/sup> Furthermore, a key finding from Women in World Christianity<\/em> based on data from national censuses and Christian denominations, is that women now comprise the majority of churches worldwide.[5]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An African Woman is the Face of Christianity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Christianity is currently growing the fastest in Africa, Latin America, and Asia,[6]<\/sup> largely due to the significant growth paved by women for the past 200 years. Many nameless local \u2018Bible women\u2019 have spread Christianity throughout Asia and Africa in the 19th<\/sup> and 20th<\/sup> century. Similarly, women revivalists swept the gospel throughout the Azusa Street Revival in the United States (1906) and the Chilean Revival (1909). The \u2018Balokole\u2019 women or \u2018saved ones\u2019 ignited the East Africa Revival (1930s-50s).[7]<\/sup> Studies have indicated that two-thirds of Pentecostals in Central America were women.[8]<\/sup> Robert predicts that the \u2018typical\u2019 Christian in 2025 is likely to be an African or Latin American women.[9]<\/sup> Global researcher Gina Zurlo confirms that an African woman is the face of Christianity in the 21st<\/sup> century.[10]<\/sup> We are living in a time where non-Western women are the face of Christianity. While Western and non-Western women have always been grassroots leaders in the local context, they are now taking their place as global leaders who can mobilize diverse followers to accomplish a global vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Breakthrough Century<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 21st<\/sup> century is pivotal for women as global leaders. According to Nancy Adler\u2019s seminal research, 126 women served as prime ministers and presidents between 1950 and 2014, of whom 79 were the first women to lead their countries.[11]<\/sup> Women leaders\u2014secular or religious, Western or non-Western\u2014 tend to model a leadership style ideal for this century because it is inclusive, participative, empathetic, trustworthy, and relational.[12]<\/sup> Adler observes about women global leaders, that they come from \u2018the world\u2019s most socially and economically advantaged and disadvantaged countries . . . from every geographical region, represent all six of the world\u2019s major religions.\u2019[13]<\/sup> This worldwide phenomenon now includes Christian women from every part of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross-cultural Leadership: Multi-faceted Boundary Spanners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Women are predisposed to being cross-cultural leaders. A key finding from Women in World Christianity<\/em> is that women tend to be boundary spanners who transcend the barriers of religion, age, class, and ethnicity in mission, social service, outreach, activism, and other areas. <\/sup>Women gravitate towards cross-cultural work and generally appear to be more comfortable in multicultural settings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women are also multi-faceted leaders who have always engaged in holistic missions\u2014merging gospel proclamation with kingdom transformation, weaving mundane tasks with the hospitality of the saints, and teaching the Scriptures while binding up wounds.[14]<\/sup> Under the harshest circumstances, they display an unyielding strength to transform communities, be it rescuing people from trafficking, defending the voiceless, protecting the orphans, delivering victims from injustice, or pioneering literacy and medical care. Mary Lederleitner\u2019s survey of 95 women mission leaders from 31 countries reveals that the key descriptor of these women leaders is that they are \u2018faithful\u2019 and \u2018connected\u2019 influencers.[15]<\/sup>  <\/sup>It is vital that women lead authentically how women lead best, by fostering the intrinsic strengths of women in leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global Leadership is Extreme Leadership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While many women leaders have excelled as cross-cultural leaders, being global leaders requires the \u2018extreme leadership\u2019 to confront the \u2018extreme complexity\u2019 of the 21st century in four aspects:[16]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n