This workshop aims to increase capacity and strengthen networking among African theologians in the LWF communion.

A further goal is to deepen the knowledge and understanding of Lutheran hermeneutics.

Participants also will improve their ability to carry out sound biblical interpretation and gender justice analysis informed by contextual realities.

The methodology will draw on the Department for Mission and Development’s mentorship program which seeks to empower young women scholars.

Departments: Department for Mission and Development, Department for Theology and Public Witness

Programs: Gender Justice & Women’s Empowerment, Lutheran Hermeneutics, Religion and Development, Reformation 2017

Event series: Religion and Development regional workshops; LWF Gender Justice Policy implementation meetings (women theologians network)

Language:  English

"There is no excuse for violence against women, there is no excuse for ignoring it."  

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) join the World YWCA in supporting the "No Xcuses for Violence against Women" international campaign which runs from 25 November through 10 December, Human Rights Day.

In keeping with the communion's pledge to gender justice, LWF presents a series of short videos featuring LWF President Bishop Munib A. Younan, LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge and member church leaders, emphasizing the messages that violence against women is not only a life issue but one of faith, and also that both men and women must unite and work toward building a healing community.

Get Involved!

The NoXcuses website features a "Wall of Support" and live feeds for social media.  Join us by:

• Sharing photos of yourselves doing the X hand gesture, using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the #noXcuses hashtag
• Posting photos of any excuse that was used when the violent act was committed
• Downloading a temporary tatoo from the website and wear it for the next 16 days as a sign of support and solidarity

End the Xcuses! Join the Lutheran communion and an expanding network of individuals, groups and organizations in building a groundswell of support for actions that will end all gender-based violence worldwide.

Follow the campaign: #noXcuses, #16days, #thursdaysinblack, #LWFweb

Departments: Department for Theology and Public Witness

Programs: Gender Justice and Women Empowerment

Partners Include: 

• World YWCA 
• World Council of Churches

Women on the Move - From Wittenberg to Windhoek (WMWW) is a movement that coordinates different initiatives developed by the women's networks in the LWF communion to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.  

In preparation for the celebration of this historic event, an international working group will assemble and plan strategies designed to establish the following thematic areas:

• The empowerment of women in leadership and decision making
• The implementation and contextualization process of the Gender Justice Policy
• Women doing theology
• Her-stories:  Telling women stories and experiences in the on-going Reformation

By working in collaboration during the first meeting, participants hope to:

• Establish processes and actions that ensure women are empowered and supported in leadership roles 
• Propose strategies that ensure that the LWF Gender Justice policy is implemented at all levels of the communion
• Develop an approach that ensures women theologians receive proper visibility
• Identify regional/global projects that ultimately create more Her-stories

Department: DTPW

Program: WICAS—women’s empowerment and gender justice

​Language:  English

Learn More

International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March represents an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women from all around the world.

For 2015, the LWF program for Women in the Church and Society (WICAS) will continue its focus on the Gender Justice Policy, and show how even small improvements in a woman's right to protection, equality and economic empowerment can have a positive impact on the world in a monumental way.

During the United Nations' 59th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, 9-20 March, the LWF will organize two side events, one featuring Liberian peace activist, Leymah Gbowee and the role community-based organizations play in the fight against the Ebola virus. Another event discusses the progress and challenges of gender justice since the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, and examines what the missteps and triumphs may mean for the future.

Get Involved

Use your voice via social media using the following hashtags

• #genderjusticematters
• #lutheranwomenonthemove
• #womensday
• #IWD2015

Interact with us on:

- Twitter
- Facebook

Learn More

Hosted by the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church in La Paz, the Lutheran World Federation's Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC) Leadership Conference will focus on the topic of Diakonia though the lenses of the LWF theme “Liberated by God’s Grace”.

The pastoral dimension responds to request of leaders in the 2014 COL with the goal to share pastoral practices for mutual learning, while the theological dimension will encompass these practical aspects with an analysis of the main aspects for doing diakonia from the Lutheran identity.

The Conference aims at enriching the diaconal work of churches in the region and attempting to define how to organize that work.

Language: Spanish with simultaneous English translation

Youth, women and LWF Council advisors come together before the 2015 LWF Council meeting to share ideas about ensuring their interests are incorporated in the council discussion and learn about developments in program areas.

The meeting also gives space for strategic planning so that gender and generational concerns feature in council deliberations and, consequently, the overall work of the LWF.

The 2015 pre-council meeting focuses on:

• youth participation in the communion
• the project “Women in the ongoing Reformation”
• implementation of the LWF gender justice policy

In this side-event to the Human Rights Council, faith-based organizations present practical examples of overcoming violence against women and girls in communities, based on an ethic of resistance to injustice. The churches’ practice and theological reflection are part and parcel of the critical approach to faith and religion. This approach can help to dismantle the often dangerous connection between religion and culture that relegates women to the domestic sphere where violence most frequently occurs.



The LWF is a convening partner, alongside the World Council of Churches, Islamic Relief Worldwide and the World YWCA.



Panelists

• Moderator: Elaine Neuenfeldt, Lutheran World Federation, Program Secretary, Women in Church and Society
• Hendrica Okondo, World YWCA, Global Program Manager SRHR and HIV and AIDS
• Malayah Harper, UN AIDS, Chief, Gender Equality and Diversity
• Iman Sandra Pertek, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Senior Policy Advisor on Gender
• Fulata Lusungu Moyo, World Council of Churches, Program Executive, Women in Church and Society
  
  
  
  The panelists are encouraged to discuss the issues from multiple dimensions of Christian and Islamic theology and justice, education, health and social norms. Additionally, the convening organizations will deliver a joint oral statement, related to the panel discussion, during the June session of the Human Rights Council.   
  
   

Training on adocacy for faith-based organizations - special focus on women's human rights

This joint training session is built on the conviction that the nature of faith-based organizations is intrinsically related to advocacy. Therefore, there is a convergence between faith-based organizations and advocacy efforts which defend what the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls the inherent dignity of all members of the human family.

This advocacy training is for women and men from faith-based organizations engaged in advocacy or in programs or services with a gender justice approach.

It is designed to enable participants to improve the effectiveness of their work by exploring local and global strategies and platforms and by becoming acquainted with UN mechanisms considered key to achieving substantial change in the legal frameworks and implementation in their respective countries.

Churches and other faith-based organizations, as members of civil society that include grassroot organizations, can play a significant role in this process if they are trained and supported. By developing meaningful partnerships, they are better able to hold their governments accountable.

 

Participating organizations

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Burundi: Together on the road to resilience 7 June 2022 CANKUZO, Burundi/GENEVA Tanzania: new program on theology, gender and leadership 31 May 2022 ARUSHA, Tanzania/GENEVA Venezuelan church prioritizes women’s needs on path toward livelihood recovery 30 May 2022 CARABOBO, Venezuela /GENEVA Americas: “God breathed life unto dry bones” 10 May 2022 SANTIAGO, Chile/GENEVA

 

Continuing the series of women's network meetings designed to move the communion towards gender justice, women theologians will come together to assess the progress of recent years and to plan next steps.

By deliberating together, participants will see more clearly the path to making gender justice a reality in the churches of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The women's network meeting is planned with the participation of the Congress in order to create opportunities for the theologians enhance their training and encouraging the submission of academic papers during the Congress.

Women theologians of the Lutheran churches in Latin America and the Caribbean, the four coordinators and the facilitator of the Network of Women and Gender Justice in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the WICAS secretary are invited. In all, about 20 women are expected to take part.

Goals

- to gather Lutheran women theologians in Latin America and the Caribbean

- share information and Secretariat's initiatives for Women in Church and Society-LWF, especially on the project Women on the Move - Wittenberg to Windhoek, which plans women's participation in the preparation of the 12th Assembly of the LWF and the celebration of 500 years of Reformation

- plan the participation of theologians of the Network of Women and Gender Justice in the regional context of Women on the Move and to have more clarity about what it means to be part of a network

- assess initiatives in the region related to the implementation of the LWF Gender Justice Policy and plan future actions

- participate in the 4th Congress of Gender and Religion at Faculdades EST and present academic reflections on gender and religion in the areas of health, history and rights. Produce a series of reflections and publish the texts of the participants

- promote the link between the Women's Network with other institutions and partner organizations

Expected results

- Participants commit to participate in Women on the Move in LAC region, carrying out a concrete proposal for action that was developed by the network

- To develop and share an action plan for the strategic participation of theologians of the Network of Women and Gender Justice in the Women on the Move program

- To prepare a report on progress and challenges of the initiatives in the region concerning the LWF Gender Justice Policy and develop a plan of future actions. Share the report and the plan with network coordinators, churches of the region and partner churches, as well as WICAS

- To contribute to academic reflection by sharing experiences and theological experience in Latin America. After the congress, compile and publish the work. Through these actions, motivate and empower women theologians and pastors for Master's and PhD studies

- List contacts made during the meeting and propose people to be responsible for fostering communication, propose advisors on gender justice issues in the region

For more information: http://www.est.edu.br/eventos/congress-on-gender-and-religion/

Celebrating Girls Worldwide

Just two years ago, the United Nations declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC). It is a day dedicated to observing more opportunities for girls, but also to drawing attention to the blatant inequality that girls face worldwide, strictly based upon their gender. Inequality often takes the forms of denied access to education, legal rights, nutrition, medical care and protection from discrimination, violence, and even forced early marriage.

This year the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), along with many other global organizations, will shine a spotlight on inequalities related to education, one of 17 areas of focus outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which were issued in September 2015. 

According to the UN report, 103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of them are female.  This means that 62 million girls are not in school and this statistic must change. 

Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to improving lives. While major progress has been made toward increasing access to education for everyone, there is still a lot more work that must be done before girls reach educational parity with their young male counterparts.

In 2015 girls around the world are speaking out boldly, demanding their right to receive a quality education. Let's show our support in helping girls everywhere make their voices heard .

Get Involved

Use your voice via social media using the following hashtags:

• #IDG2015
• #Dayofthegirl
• #GirlPower
• #62milliongirls
• #LetGirlsLearn

Interact with us on:

• Twitter
• Facebook