International Women's Day: Learning to 'Wholespeak'
A service for International Women’s Day offers the opportunity to celebrate women’s work, women’s ministry and women’s words. Over millennia the contribution of women has been undervalued in many societies, religions and cultures. The words 'women’s work’ has often been preceded by the pejorative ‘just’.
All around the world, on a daily basis, women’s work involves caring for the young and for elderly, getting food and preparing meals, cleaning-all the many tasks that make houses into homes- often in addition to responsibilities of paid employment. In 2025 women are still under-represented in positions of political, economic and managerial power and authority. And, particularly because of social media, the voices of some extremely competent and visionary women are systematically muffled by an avalanche of disempowering anonymous misogynist abuse. Women must also confront their own internalised misogyny, their sense that they have been called out, and found out. That they should sit down and be quiet.
It is possible to find some verses in the Bible which on superficial reading seem to legitimate this kind of polarity of gender-identification and endorse the silencing of women’s voices. Some of these are found in 1 Timothy.
The Australian poet Les Murray has coined the term ‘Narrowspeak’. As it might apply to the texts of the Bible, we risk fluency in Narrowspeak when we consider verses in isolation from the broader text, from other readers, and from the ministry and words of Jesus seen as a whole. We can all too easily default into a lazily dismissive, narrow way of speaking and relating to one another. Rather than putting ourselves, in humility, at the service of all the other members of the kingdom of God, this serves merely to reinforce existing predispositions of character, circumstance and inclination. And, perniciously, these gender associations can bleed unhelpfully into our use of language as we search to express our apprehension of the mystery that is God.
The antithesis of ‘Narrowspeak' is ‘Wholespeak'. We can resolve to learn Wholespeak together, as the gloriously diverse but united body of Christ. So we undertake to read biblical texts and confronting individual phrases with communality, with our whole hearts and minds, the words illuminated by the light of the mission and ministry of love which was Jesus’ healing work of redemption in the world.
Reverend Carolin Telford
Associate Priest
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I really appreciate the idea of learning to practise “Wholespeak” as a way of bringing people together rather than allowing narrow interpretations Survival Race to divide them. Recognising the contributions of women, both in everyday life and within the church, is an important step toward building a more inclusive community.
I love the idea of learning to speak with greater awareness and making sure every voice feels heard and respected. International Women’s Day is a meaningful opportunity to reflect on equality, celebrate women's contributions, and encourage more inclusive conversations in our communities. Small changes in the way we communicate can help create a more supportive environment for everyone. For a quick break after reading, Slope is a fun browser game that challenges your focus and reflexes.
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Having https://senzaregistrazione.com open while reading this, I kept thinking about how easy it is to quote a single verse and ignore the whole arc of Jesus' teaching. The line about women confronting their own internalised misogyny hit home—I've seen that play out in church discussions more than I'd like. Wholespeak feels like a discipline worth practicing.