Maeketing Plan for Batik Products

Understand the role and function of marketing in a variety of market and organizational contexts. ? Critically evaluate and utilize marketing research data and methods to a given market situation. ? Understand and apply the principles of organizational and environmental audits to inform marketing strategies, decisions and objectives. ? Develop and justify a marketing plan and mix for a given target market. You have been just appointed as International Marketing Manager by a local Sri Lankan firm that is aspiring to take the Company to the international market to take advantage of growth opportunities.Your Managing Director is also concerned about the limited growth potential of your market (Sri Lanka). Your main task, as defined by your Managing Director, is to propose an International marketing plan to enter the most potential market i. e. that offers the greatest growth potential in the next two years. Your key task Propose an International Marketing Plan to take your Company to an overseas market of your choice.Critically justify your recommendations by providing clear justification for selection of markets to enter on a priority basis. 1. You will need to conduct a critical market analysis using relevant facts and figures. You will need to quantify the market potential or potential of the overseas marketing opportunity using facts and figures. (20 marks) 2. Use Segmenting, targeting and positioning elaborate how you intend to provide competitive advantage for your brand in the overseas market of entry. (40 marks) 3.Critically elaborate how changes in the marketing environment in your chosen market of entry (relative to your home country) will affect your Company and how you recommend changing or adopting your marketing mix to take advantage of the opportunities in the selected market? (20 marks) 4. Critically provide a profitability forecast for your marketing plan. Clearly indicate implementation dates, and budget requirement to deliver on the marketing ob jectives you will set as part of your marketing plan for the next two years. (20 marks)

Culture of Employers and Employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture of Employers and Employees - Essay Example The American employees are motivated by flexible work timings and good salary packages. As most of these employees tend to have more than one job at a time to earn more, flexible work schedules appeal to them. These employees care about money and freedom of expression. They expect their employers to be flexible in terms of work deadlines. The goal of these employees is to save enough money to live a luxurious lifestyle. These employees are good customers and shop frequently. They are influenced by latest technology, and products of acknowledged and reputable brands. They have an instinct towards living green, safe and healthy, though they are not quite as much prudent in their activities to ensure this. Their assumptions are that they belong to a multicultural society, where they have to accept all kinds of religions, norms, values, and traditions. The affect of these assumptions on their work is that they have freedom of expression and allow others the same. Nairobi, Kenya The cultu re of Nairobian workers deems work second to home. These employees are generally very friendly, and helpful towards one another. They understand one another’s problems and try to extend their help if possible. At a certain point in time, if a Nairobian worker has an issue at home and another at the office of equal importance, the worker would first attend the issue at home and then at the office. â€Å"It is considered a perfectly acceptable reason to show up late for an assignment and for deadlines to be missed just so workers can keep their personal affairs in good order† (â€Å"Cultural Information – Kenya†). Nairobian employers motivate the workers by providing them with relaxed work schedules (Kumba). Nairobian employees expect employers to provide them with flexible work schedules and they care about their families a lot. The goal of Nairobian workers is to earn sufficient for their families. They assume that their employers understand their feeling s towards their families. This has a slightly negative effect on their work as they tend to arrive late at work or leave for home before the break off time. They may not be there at the workplace in the time of urgency. Paris, France The employees in Paris are culturally diverse, but not quite as much as the ones in New York. They communicate with one another mostly in French and occasionally in English. French business culture emphasizes upon formality, respect, mutual trust, and courtesy. In order to be motivated for work, French employees need to be respected. â€Å"Respect of colleagues and bosses motivates workers in France† (Woodward and Shandwick). These employees care about personal image and reputation, and are able to deliver their best in an emotionally satiating and psychologically fulfilling work environment. The French employees have the goal to excel in their profession while keeping their image high. They are influenced by charismatic managers and coworkers wh o are not only well-dressed but also well-behaved. They are motivated to work hard provided that they get the right conditions, though not many are of the view that their employers are cooperative. â€Å"While 82 per cent of employees in France say that they are motivated to ‘go the extra mile’ (in other words ‘engaged’), less than two thirds (53 per cent) feel they are enabled by

Law in Relation to the Identification Procedure Essay

Law in Relation to the Identification Procedure - Essay Example Amongst the suspects is Barry, who has a bad stutter. The custody officer informs Barry of his right to see a solicitor but he initially refuses saying, â€Å"I’ve done nothing wrong. Why would I need a Brief?† At a police identification parade, Alan picks out Barry on the basis of his â€Å"bulging eyes†. Alan does not ask to have the persons in the line-up speak. Barry is 5 feet 5 inches tall. All of the other persons in the line-up are 5 feet 9 inches or taller. Later, at a police interview, Barry refuses to answer any questions and repeatedly states: â€Å"This is a fit up – you can’t prove anything†. Frustrated with Barry’s stubborn refusal to admit his involvement, the police decide to plant a listening device connected to a tape recorder in Barry’s cell in the custody suite, and put an undercover police officer, Colin, in the same cell as Barry. Colin asks what Barry’s in for. Barry replies, â€Å"Robbery. They’ll never prove it though if I keep my mouth shut. They’ve already messed up the identification parade.† Eleanor alleges that Dean had invited her to sleep on the floor of his room, to save her from walking h ome in the dark. She claims that at 3.00 a.m. she awoke to find Dean molesting her. She says she tried to push him away but he hit her and carried out the alleged offense. She says that she waited until he had fallen asleep and then escaped. She first complained of the rape to her friend, Flora, six hours later. Flora had come into Eleanor’s room saying: â€Å"Where were you last night? Gareth was looking for you. He says he’s going to finish with you if you’ve been out with other men.† Gareth is Eleanor’s boyfriend. She then described the alleged rape to Flora, who says she observed her tear-stained face on which there was slight bruising.

Discuss How Fashion And Photography Inform Each Other Essay

Discuss How Fashion And Photography Inform Each Other - Essay Example This paper approves that the intricate relationship between photography and fashion, as evidenced in the existence of numerous fashion/photography collaborations in the history of the world of fashion, points out to the symbiotic relationship between these two fields of practice. Whereas the fashion photographers cannot exist without the designers who produce the subject of their work, the designers, on the other hand, cannot function effectively without the help of the fashion photographers who present their creative designs to the rest of the world in print. In view of the successful working relationship between the designer Issey Miyake and photographer Irving Penn’s, which went beyond commercial necessity to mutual creative respect that benefits both practitioners, it is evident that fashion and photography can, and indeed do inform one another. This paper makes a conclusion that the distinct field of fashion photography has risen out of the love relationship between fashi on and photography that has developed over the years, which has been motivated by both commercial benefits and the creative potential for practitioners in the two fields. Fashion and fashion photography collaborations allow the practitioners in both fields to indulge their creative capacity beyond imagination, thereby giving rise to fashion images that endear, challenge, and even engage individuals at various levels, making the genre of fashion photography unique and powerful.

Chines Leisure Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chines Leisure Industry - Essay Example Similarly, gardening or cooking which can be considered a leisure activity for many, but that does not necessarily mean it is one for a gardener or a chef. Defining leisure is very difficult because of its complexities. Any activity that people enjoy doing after completing their obligations, which causes relaxation and peace of mind, can be considered a leisure activity. Because of its abstract nature, it is difficult to name all leisure activities. Leisure activities are likely to keep changing with time but it will always be something that a person enjoys doing and brings them happiness. The leisure industry refers to an industry that is closely related to people's leisure lifestyle, leisure activities and leisure requirements, including primarily the economic forms and industry systems such as entertainment, tourism, service, culture and sports industries, and groups that are generated from such industries (Yan, 2006). The People's Republic of China is the third largest country in the world in terms of area, and the first largest in terms of population (China National Tourism Administration). Until a few years ago, the leisure industry in China was unheard of. However, with changing times, this concept has been flourishing rapidly. Leisure and vacations have become very common and attracted the attention of many citizens and governmental organizations. According to statistics from China's National Tourism Administration, as a major representative of the leisure industry, China's domestic tourism industry recorded 1.2 billion in tourist volume and 768.6 billion Yuan in total tourism revenue in 2005, and has been growing ever since. Because the tourism industry is a significant impulse to consumption and economic growth, twenty-four Chinese provinces now consider the tourism industry as a pillar industry, or a leading industry (Yan, 2006). As many as twenty-four of China's thirty-one provinces, muni cipalities and autonomous regions have made tourism one of their leading industries, encouraging greater consumer spending in leisure activities (Access Asia, 2004). As China's consumer market expands, government and private companies are looking to exploit areas of potential opportunity in the theme and amusement park industry. The Chinese government recognizes the potentially massive boost that increased domestic demand. While foreign direct investment (FDI) provides valuable income, it cannot be compared with surging urban spending in the country's wealthy coastal provinces. Major cities down the eastern seaboard are home to China's expanding urban middle class younger generation of consumers with rising disposable income and an increasing tendency to spend rather than save. While, well to do consumers can afford to travel to other parts of the country on holidays, a vast majority of consumers look for entertainment destinations close to home. These typically include zoos and wildlife parks, aquariums and marine parks, and theme and amusement parks (Access Asia, 2004). Hence, the demand for this kind of entertainment has been increasing, and this industry has seen a rapid growth. Chinese theme parks advocate seeing the world through the ideas upon which many of the theme parks are built. Their aim is to promote and educate people on Chinese culture as well as world cultures. The parks portray beautiful sceneries, architectural

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advertising - Essay Example The advertisers’ objective is to convince the consumers that the product is best suited to serve their needs. The advertiser focuses on the assumption that it is easier to convince individuals to use products manufactured by reputable companies. Besides, people have the perception that anything manufactured by Gatorade is great. Subsequently, the advertiser uses emotive words such as â€Å"lightly flavored† and â€Å"vitamin charged† to entice consumers. Indeed, the advertiser promotes the product to the female gender while enticing the masculine gender to embrace products promoted by the feminine gender. Consequently, the advertiser uses emotions to alter people’s perception, for example, the image of an enthusiastic young woman shows that the commodity can serve the needs of teenagers (Jacobs 3). The wordings of the second advertisement are persuasive and appear attractive to the eyes of the audience as opposed to the first advertisement. Consequently, the commercial instigates the consumers by highlighting the benefits of the merchandise. The advertiser uses bold phrases because he believes that advertisements should catch the attention of the audience. Interestingly, the striking words emphasize the benefits of using the product (Petley 54). Additionally, the colors in the commercial are relatively cool because they exude several meanings. For instance, the green color attempts to find a correlation between the product, and environment while the brown color relates the commodity with consciousness. As such, marketers use natural colors to sensitize the audience to use environmentally friendly products. Packaging Rx essentials in a white tin shows the usefulness of the commodity because it creates a pacifying setting (Jacobs 140). The notification on the importance of using the product together with prescribed drugs indicates that the advertisement is educative and the advertiser focuses on creating awareness among the consumers, and promotes

The Status of Women In the New Testament Essay Example for Free

The Status of Women In the New Testament Essay When assessing the history of womens role and position in society, it is notably the period of the New Testament which proved to be a major turning point in the status of women, and was the starting point for the near-equality experienced in todays society. Graham Stanton observes that The status of women was markedly inferior to that of men throughout the ancient world, including Judaism.1 Thus, by looking to the society preceding that of Christ, one can only understand what a profound influence Christ had on the previous Jewish and Greek customs of women. The society in which Jesus lived was strongly patriarchal; the worth and dignity of women was not recognized, the womens role was domesticated, to be a faithful wife and mother, and women who stepped outside this role were vilified. Women had almost no role at all in the wider arena of social life, in politics and religious affairs 2. By looking to the Old Testament the earliest evidence of such a society is indicated in the Book of Job, and arguably the Old Testament is a record of the mistreatment of women by men. Women were considered to be the cause of evil doing, a temptation to men, and a hindrance to his spiritual life. If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked by my neighbors door, then may my wife grind another mans grain, and may other men sleep with her. ( Job 31:10 -11) Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman who does good; It is a woman who brings shame and disgrace (Sirach 42:14) This patriarchal society which had no time for women in discussions, decisions or pleasures, left women as objects to fulfill the mens sexual desires and produce children, they lived their lives under the control of men, mainly their fathers and husbands. This belief came about from what was stated in Exodus 20:17, that a woman was a possession of the husband, You shall not covet your neighbours house; you shall not covet your neighbours wife Indeed in Jewish religious and social law, women, slaves and minors were often placed in the same category. The religious authorities had little respect or liking for women, the Rabbis were fearful of women as they were seen as a source of sexual temptation. Additionally, the Shema was not to be recited anywhere, where you could hear a womans voice or see her legs or her hair. However, there were exceptions to this 1st century treatment of women, E. Schussler Fiorenza argues that Although in rabbinic Judaism women are categorized with children and slaves for legal and religious purposes, the biblical stories about women indicate that women were not perceived as minors or slaves in everyday life. Such examples she uses are women including Ruth, Esther, Hannah, all of who are seen to have typical female roles and behavior, yet, they are not perceived as minors or slaves in everyday life.3 Certainly Deborah is also an important figure for the raising of the female status in the Old Testament, she was a Judge and was consulted by the Israelites over several issues, and it can be understood that the majority of her rulings were correct. In the face of threat created by Jabin, the Canaanite king, she roused Barak to lead the Israelites into battle, and ultimate victory. Thus she was clearly a heroine. Certainly then, as J and K Court observe, womens status was relative and could depend on various factors: family, employment, or religious background, and Jesus preaching and teachings of equality for all could only be possible in so far as such notions of equality are conceivable in the context of Jewish life and faith.4 However, through the scriptures of the Old Testament God asks his people to act compassionately toward those around you (Deuteronomy 24:17-22) but no account can be found of men respecting the human rights of women, thus they over look Gods commands. Such a corrupt system, constantly producing injustice and fear, was in true need of a change. Jesus overturned the social and cultural mores of this day and challenged legalistic traditions. 5 He showed no discrimination to others and treated all persons with respect, regardless of their race, sex, age, physical condition, political preference, economic status, or educational level. 6 He told all persons, You have worth and value, and there is rejoicing in heaven when you as an individual become part of My family (Luke 15:1-10). For God created both men and women in his image, both equal and complete, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27). He did not separate one from the other in the ruling of the world for one cannot function without the other, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. (Genesis 2:18). It is this concept which Jesus tried to revive in his teachings. Throughout the New Testament, there are many references to women that demonstrate how Jesus reacted differently to women, and how he promoted the status of women. Jesus talks to women even though they are outcasts-much to the surprise of his disciples, as he was offending all the normal conventions.7 Jesus presents women as worthy and faithful through acts of forgiveness and numerous miracles performed on them. He also removes from women the domestic image that society had previously molded them into, and presents them as disciples equal to men, as shown in Luke 10:38-42 where Jesus favors the sister Mary who sat at the Lords feet listening to what he said rather than her sister Martha who was pre-occupied with the traditional female obligation of house work. Also in Luke 11:27-28 Jesus states Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it rather than the woman who brings life into the world, here again specifically telling women they are bound to no duty except to that of the Lord. Jesus, within this passage is shown to view women as equal to men, he makes no distinction, since Jesus main concern is to teach those who are willing to learn. This is a radical move away from Jewish thought, since up until this point it was unheard of within Judaism for a religious teacher to teach women. It is the evangelist Luke, who seems to show the most interest in women using Jesus positive references to women which were so different to the views at the time and including many unique stories of Jesus encounters with women in his Gospel that the other evangelists omit. Luke 18:1-8 shows a man in a superior position as a Judge supposedly working for what is true and Godly, however, with no sense of true loyalty or justice, compared to a widow with real faith, totally committed to God. It is only through the Judges selfish need does he see that she gets justice. By putting this story in of two contrasting characters, Luke must obviously be aware of womens hard deal in society, and also aware of some mens response to the superior positions that they hold in the first Century world. Thus this story is used to illustrate the faithful and faithless. Most of the references to women in the Gospels are there to portray positive examples of persons with great faith. Jesus welcomed the inclusion of women as disciples with the understanding that they could respond with obedience and commitment to the word of God. Luke 8:1-3 states by name women who followed Jesus in Galilee and to Jerusalem where they were present as faithful and active servants at the crucifixion. The three women were named as Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, who had apparently left everything and became disciples of Jesus as a result of the healing they had received from him, and followed him until the end. As Fiorenza states, the women are thus characterized as true disciples of Jesus who have left everything and have followed him on the way, even to his bitter end on the cross. 8 All four Gospels report that it was the women disciples who first saw and believed Jesus resurrection, however in Luke 24:10-11 the male disciples did not believe them. Mark too, shows that in the New Testament writings the status of women has been improved. Just as in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, he presents four leading male disciples who hear Jesus call to discipleship, so at the end of his Gospel he presents four leading women disciples. He mentions them by name which is demonstrating their importance, since one has previously noted from the story of Bethany (14:1-11) that the author of Marks Gospel did not always see it necessary to include the name. It is significant that in this passage of Mark 14:9 where Jesus pronounces that wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. This is in reference to the anointing of Jesus in Bethany by a woman. This verse shows to a reader two things, firstly that from the start Jesus treated women as equals since he is willing to identify and make clear the great act that the woman has performed. Secondly it shows to one that although Jesus realised the great act the woman had performed, the author of the gospel did not believe it was worth noting the name of the woman. Certainly Fiorenza believes the name of the faithful disciple has been lost since she was a woman.9 Hence, again highlighting what the early status of women was, even in the Christian world. Also in Marks Gospel it is included the idea that Mary Magdalene was the first human to have Jesus appear to her (Mark 16:9). Mark writes; He appeared first to Mary Magdalene but when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her they would not believe it. Therefore, here clearly one can argue that although Jesus himself accepted women and believed them to be equal. Nevertheless, 16:9 demonstrates that despite the fact his male disciples would like to believe they followed Jesus and all he taught them, they evidently did not for they refused to believe Mary Magdalene, thus one can state from studying Marks Gospel that the author was indeed keen to encourage women into apostolic and ministerial leadership, which was a drastic change to the status of women. This is the radical difference in Jesus ministry, and the gospels will not let the Christian Church forget this, although as Stanton observes, the early church did not always follow his teaching regarding women. However, this serves only to establish the increasing likelihood that Jesus teachings were authentic. 10 Jesus uses his power and authority to try to bridge the gap between men and women in society by his acts of compassion. He is not afraid to be touched by a ritually unclean woman who is suffering from a hemorrhage, or when he brings a widows dead child back to life in Luke 7:11-17 which shows Jesus genuine compassion for women as he shows with men and children alike, his heart went out to her 7:13 and he raised her son from the dead. Jesus challenged the Jewish mentality that women as witnesses to Jesus preaching had no value or significance by drawing women to be apart of his discipleship and thereby giving a value to their presence and making them effective witnesses to his life and message. And it was Finallythe women who, drawing close to the dramatic events of his crucifixion and death, when all the disciples deserted him and fled.'(Matthew 26:56) and when Peter denied him, followed him and were present at his crucifixion, death and burial11 they are portrayed as dedicated and f aithful follows who have been able to see through their suffering. The one woman who even at the time of Jesus birth through to today holds a superior position in the church is Mary mother of Jesus. Mary is shown as a dedicated and obedient disciple of Jesus, She agreed to accept Jesus birth and to be obedient to Gods will while knowing well that this would place her in a position of being a social outcast.12 The Gospel writers support her and highlight her considerable strength and bravery from the beginning of the Gospel- Jesus birth, through to his death at the end of the Gospel. It is telling that Luke compared to Matthew tells the birth story from Marys point of view rather than Josephs, as we have seen Luke is strongly aware of the difficulties which beset women in New Testament society and hugely supports Mary mother of Jesus who he feels represents the faithful and long suffering women and disciple. In the second century document called The Gospel of Mary, written about Mary Magdalene there are indications towards the role that she carried with the disciples that is ignored in her presentation in the New Testament. We find Mary Magdalene consoling the disciples after Jesus ascension Do not weep and do not sorrow and above all do not be indecisive. His grace will be with you and will protect you. Peter turns to her and says: Sister, we know that the Saviour loved you more than other women. Tell us those words of his, which you remember and know, not us. 13 This shows Mary holding a somewhat authoritative position towards the disciples and the passage indicates Mary had a personal relationship with Jesus outside that with the disciples, of such an authoritative position that she holds, however, was omitted or not specified in the New Testament, although the Gospels did write that Jesus accepted her for who she was and with her past, however, they failed to specify the closeness to which their relationship is suggested to be, and it can be deduced that she (and conceivably other women) had a much more significant role in the early church than is presented in the New Testament documents themselves. The evangelists throughout the different gospels are expressing their views about the role of women through the mouth of Jesus and his encounters with them. However, these views however honest they may seem considering the society they are writing for and are apart of, may still be somewhat constrained when deciding whether to write of a wom en having a greater and closer relationship with Jesus than men, would seem ridiculous and absurd to the people at that time. As Graham Stanton observes, the early church soon after Jesus time on earth did not always follow Jesus example in its treatment of women. Indeed it could be said that Paul and other later New Testament authors reverted back to a more Jewish approach to women and therefore distanced the early Church away from all that Jesus had done to promote the status of women. However, although it is true to say the Pauline teachings imply that in the worshipping congregation women should not have an authoritative teaching role, thus they should not have an equal status with men within the church. Nevertheless some of the teachings still keep the theme that in the kingdom of God any person baptized is a part of Jesus Christs kingdom and can no longer be differentiated from another Baptised believer, therefore all are a apart of one unity in Christ. Paul has thus understood Jesus essential message that all are welcome into Gods kingdom: There is neither Jew not Greek, slave nor free, male nor fema le, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.'(Galatians 3:28) However, he also establishes some rules that seem to diminish women but are actually aimed at creating order and dignity in the church. Although Paul clearly expresses his view that all people are equal in Jesus, in a letter to Timothy concerning the worship of men and women he does not deny the different roles both women and men should play, emphasizing clearly womans role of bearing children and prohibiting women to teach and lead a congregation or to have authority over a man'(1.Timothy 2:12). It is later in his instruction to the Corinthians that Paul places restriction on what women can do: women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak he then states that A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the women is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason the woman ought to have authority on her head because of the angels. (1.Corinthians 11:7-10) Pauls rules about the conditions for worship, although they may seem sexist, actually reflect the times. Women were usually covered apart from their heads and hands, however, to avoid distraction when worshipping it would be customary to cover their heads, so the only focus would be solely the Lord. Even though Paul has rules inside the equality of worship, he still stands by the view that In the Lord, however, there is neither woman without man nor man without woman. For as woman came from man. So also man is born woman, and everything comes from God.'(1 Corinthians 11:11-12)14 But it is passages such as Now as the Church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:24) that have caused the most controversy and have been taken as literally wives being the husbands possession. For in traditional Western marriage services today the words I obeyARE often no longer included. It has been noticed that the Pauline and Petrine writers seek to limit womens leadership roles within the Christian community to roles that are culturally and religiously acceptable. However, ironically, these claims cannot allege the authority of Jesus. The status of women in modern times has a great deal to do with Paul and other later authors teaching. Certainly the practice of women covering their head before they went into churches was a common practice up until the II World War. This shows the long lasting effect of Pauls teachings in the church on the status of women. It is important that when looking at the texts written about Jesus teaching shortly after Jesus crucifixion that they must not be taken necessarily at face value, they must be interpreted in their cultural setting, so they may seem obscure to our standards and values in the twenty-first century. Even today, although huge developments have happened to the status of women since Jesus time, women are still thought in some countries to be of less social standing than their male counterparts, it is only in the developed countries that equal rights for men and women have been fought. There has been great dispute over the acceptance of women priests in the Church in the Western World. The argument against there being women priests within the Church of England, found much of its weight from the later New Testament authors, and much of what Jesus had taught was ignored. The main emphasis of the argument was placed on the idea that male and female were created to be equal but different, many against the ordination of women would have used this beginning to base the development of the role of priests as a male responsibility. Moreover, many scholars use the passage from 1Timothy:2:8-15, I permit no women to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep; silent, to suggest that women should not be in a position to teach with authority in the Church. They argue that Christ was male and chose male apostles and that females cannot form legitimate succession or play the crucial part in the sacrificial and sacramental acts of the Eucharist. 15 Peter Vardy argues that just as Christians misapplied Jesus essential message to the Jews, similarly Christian Churches and individuals have done the same to women Women in terms of the Roman Law were considered inferior to men, and it was the Roman law which became the basis of the churches law. Women were also considered to be responsible for bringing sin into the world and for being a continuous source of seduction, and they were considered to be ritually unclean because of their monthly blood flow, thus almost as definition to the Roman Law and understanding women could not be ordained simply because they were a woman, as it would be inappropriate for an inferior, sinful and unclean person to represent God. It was such strong feelings as these that became so deeply imbedded in the Churches thinking in past centuries that have remained up until today. The Church of England is currently paving the way for women bishop however there is strong opposition and splits within the church and so it could take another twenty years before a woman is made a bishop in Britain. Passages in the Bible emphasize the order of creation of men and women and reflect the household code of their positions in the family and home. Therefore although some traditionalists still believe that women have a different role from men and are subordinate to men by God, through the creation, others maintain that before God all are equal16. For women to be equal in the Christian church the very fact that circumcision was to be replaced by baptism was a very important factor. Since women now could become equal and have the same status as men did before God. Fiorenza REF? believes this generated a fundamental change in women, not only in their standing before God but also in their ecclesial social status and function. She bases this argument on the fact that previously in Judaism women could never be viewed as equal since they could not be fully initiated into the religion due to circumcision. Therefore although much of the New Testament writings show women to be subordinate to man , the actual initiation into the Church is balanced. The sense of oppression that women have felt for centuries in both religious and everyday life seems to have stemmed from the very roots of religion, in the creation story and also from the misinterpretation of Jesus words in the Bible Feminist groups both within and outside the church have accused the church of propagating a negative view of women.17 The Feminist Movement has developed today as a result of the injustices women have suffered in the past and their desire for equal rights and opportunity in the future in all aspects of life. Mary Wollstonercraft applied the principle of natural rights to women arguing that women have equal worth with men and therefore have the same rights. Today it is seen as an act of discrimination for women not to have the freedom to be ordained; the last few decades have witnessed increasing sensitivity regarding womans rights and the need to redress injustices committed in the past. This new freedom has opened up new roles in all fields of work. The church although slow and reluctant to incorporate a true evaluation of women (Galatians. 3:28) into its institutions and rituals has finally succumbed. The position of women in the church reflects the changes in society and so today women find themselves challenging men in all walks of life. In conclusion, the status of women in the New Testament has a great deal to do with how the individual authors of each book viewed women. Certainly the Gospels indicate to the reader that Jesus wished to depict women as having just as many rights as men in the eyes of God. Furthermore, he showed that he himself saw women as equal beings to men, since he allowed them to become his disciples, as in the case of the Galilean women. So the gospels project them as being Jesus true disciples. The period of the New Testament marks a significant change in the role and attitude to women, which seems to have been initiated by Jesus. It was this dramatic change in attitude to women (although the early church did not always reflect these teachings) that has finally become the standard to which modern day women aspire and society have accepted. People are welcomed by Jesus irrespective of race, status, or gender, and those who are called to leadership are chosen on the basis of Gods gracious spirit not on accidents of birth.18 1 The Gospels and Jesus Graham Stanton, 1989, p102 2 The Puzzle of the Gospels Peter Vardy and Mary Mills, Fount 1995 pg170 3 In Memory of Her E. Schussler Fiorenza 1983, pg 109 4 The New Testament World J. and K. Court, Prentice-Hall, 1990 5 Equal to Serve G.G. Hull 1989, pg85 6 Ibid 7 Puzzle of the Gospels Peter Vardy and Mary Mills, 1995, pg173. 8 In Memory of Her E. Schussler Fiorenza 1983 9 ibid pg 316 10 The Gospels and Jesus Graham Stanton, OUP (1989) pg202 11 Mary Magdalene and Many Others Carla Ricci, BURNS OATES (1994), pg144 12 The Puzzle of the Gospels Vardy and Mills, pg175 13 May Magdalene and Many Others Carla Ricci, pg147 14 information from Pauls teaching on the Ministry of Women P. Nelson, Whittles Publishing (1996) 15 The New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology IVP(1996) pg 595. 16 Paul and the Eschatological woman R. Scroggs. Pg266 17 Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology pg380 18 Oxford dictionary of the Bible W.R.F. Brownig. Pg 398