Anglican Communion News Service

More than 30 clergywomen from all dioceses of the Anglican Church of Uganda have accused their male counterparts of discriminating against them and relegating them to secondary positions in the Church hierarchy.

The women, attending the first national convention for Uganda's Anglican women clergy, held at Makerere University, Kampala, last month, vowed to fight the oppression of women in the Church. The theme of the week-long conference was "Celebrating and Realising our Call".

Grace Ndyabahika, Chairwoman of the National Clergywomen's Fellowship, told the convention: "Most women clergy are school chaplains and assistant tutors, but none are bishops. They have been left out of the mainstream leadership."

The Revd Ndyabahika, who is ordained, called for an end to the inferior status given to women clergy, stating: "More than half of the Church and society are women, and therefore [this is] an issue that cannot be ignored."

An Anglican clergyman, Canon Benon Mugarura, Chaplain of St Francis Chapel at Makerere University, told the women's convention that the Church was trying to find positions for ordained women.