This week, the focus shifts to 'women' which follows on quite neatly from the fact that last Friday was what used to be called The Women's World Day of Prayer, nowadays re-branded World Day of Prayer in an attempt at inclusivity, but it is still mostly women who do it!

Adults

70% of the world’s poor are women.

Give 10p for every woman in your family who has a job.

OK, bit of semantics here - I am assuming they mean 'a paid job', because I have yet to find a woman who has no jobs to so, unless she is so frail or ill that she is unable to fend for herself. Cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, grandchild-caring, home-making, these are all jobs, just not ones which attract financial reward.

Also more semantics - what do we mean by family?  Is it a 'we four and no more' which would mean I would give 10p for myself only.  Or should we read family in the extended way that would be true of the world's poorest communities.  I have one sister, who is paid employment, and two nieces of working age (which I am interpreting as 'over 18') one of whom is in paid employment.  I also have one sister-in-law who is in paid employment.  I think, therefore, it would be reasonable to say that the tally is four, which makes a pledge of 40p... which is almost half the amount the world's poorest people will have to live on today: scary!

My Pledge

Today - 40p

Total - £20.65, three prayers, a rant and one e-petition signed