ZENANA BIBLE MISSION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 672, 25 May 1929, Page 6

ZENANA BIBLE MISSION

ANNUAL MEETING HELD WORK AMONG WOMEN The annual meeting of the New Zealand Auxiliary of the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission was held last evening, when the chairman of the executive, the Rev. R. George Coats, presided. The Zenana Bible and Medical Mission is an interdenominational missionary society of women founded in •1852 by the late Lady Kinnaird. It operates in 25 different centres among India’s 160,000,000 women and girls, and has, nearly 400 women workers engaged in medical, hospital, dispensary, educational and evangelistic work. The New Zealand auxiliary has adopted the station of Jaunpur. The word “Zenana” was originally a Persian word meaning “woman,” but in India it has come to mean women’s apartments. In surveying the past year, the chairman said that the sum of £ 1,125 which had been raised was a very creditable amount, considering the times. The task looked stupendous, sometimes hopeless, but he urged members to concentrate on private prayer. On the motion of the Rev. A. W. McMillan, it was decided to thank specially Miss I>. G. Dannefaerd for her loyal services as lion, secretary for the past year. The chairman also bade farewell to the Rev. Mr. McMillan and Mrs. McMillan, who are leaving for Fiji' in July. Mr. McMillan has been appointed inspector of schools in Fiji. WOMEN’S EMANCIPATION Mrs. A. W. McMillan gave a brief address on “Women’s Work in Missionary Enterprise in India.” She said that the woman going to India had to be patient and learn the language. The young missionary had to learn to understand the people, with their different customs and religions. She had always found the Indian women pleased to receive an Englishwoman. Women all the world over were alike, and all had affection for children. Cheap and common cinemas and newspapers, often gave the women of India a very undesirable impression of Western civilisation. But women missionaries, by living among the natives, did much to counteract this. It was very difficult to reach the women of India sometimes, as the men did not wish anyone to see them and speak about Christianity. The women were keen and anxious to know; it was generally the men who kept the missionaries from them. The women missionaries also had a great influence on the girls. India was a land of great variety. 'lt was only .where Christianity was practised that women came into their rightful places. All the other religions subjected women, and there were signs that the emancipation of India’s millions of women was coming. The following executive was reelected: — The Rev. R. George Coats, chairman; Mr. R. N. Bradley, organising secretary; Miss D. J. Dannefaerd, fion. secretary; Mr. J. Burt, hon. treasurer; Misses E. B. M. Brain and Elsie K. Lilly, Dr. O. Fyffe Lamb, F.R.C.S.,and Messrs. R. L. Stewart and Bruce Scott, LL.B.