“God Created Me Equal”: Indigenous Women Claiming Leadership Through Theology

For International Development Week 2026, The United Church of Canada is highlighting global partners contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through faith-rooted leadership and justice.

Across Guatemala, Indigenous women have long been central to the life of their communities—yet they are often excluded from leadership within the church. The Women’s Network of Maya Presbyterials (Fraternidad de Presbiteriales Mayas) was born out of women’s determination to change that reality.

Working across denominations, the network promotes Indigenous women’s leadership through a three-year course in contextual theology—a way of reading the Bible that holds together God’s word and lived experience, like two threads woven into one story.

One participant, Rosalinda, describes how the course transformed her relationship with scripture and with herself. Learning how to read and study the Bible helped her gain confidence, while gender analysis opened new ways of naming injustice—both in the church and in the home.

“I learned that I am a wonderful woman that God created as equal to a man,” Rosalinda says, “even though we face difficulties and sadness in our homes.”

This theological formation does more than build individual confidence. It illuminates the realities of church and community, inviting women to ask hard questions about power, exclusion, and the church’s responsibility to support others.

“There is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” 
(Galatians 3:28)

Connections for Communities of Faith

• Pray for Indigenous women leaders who are strengthening churches and communities.
• Give to Mission and Service to help support Canadian and global partners working towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Advocate: Canada’s foreign policy has explicitly committed to gender equity and women’s leadership. Given recent comments by the new government, that direction now feels uncertain. Email your MP and urge them to keep gender justice and women’s participation and leadership at the centre of Canada’s foreign policy and international assistance.
• Follow United Action for Justice on Facebook and Instagram, as well as United Church News and the Round the Table blog for more information on how your community of faith can get involved.
• Explore reflection questions crafted for your community of faith’s small groups, youth groups, or Sunday schools in the downloadable document below.

The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.