LWF delegates taking part in the event at CSW69 to launch a new publication marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women. Photo: LWF/P. Hitchen
Launch of new publication featuring advocates who attended Beijing Conference and those who continue their work today
(LWI) - How far have we come in achieving equality and empowerment for all women and girls? How much has the ambitious blueprint for women’s rights, drawn up by world leaders in Beijing 30 years ago, been implemented? What is the role of faith actors in ensuring that its vision becomes a reality in countries around the world?
Those questions were at the heart of an event organized by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) on day two of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. They are also explored in a new LWF publication featuring voices of gender justice advocates who were in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women, alongside those who have been following in their footsteps for the past three decades.
In opening remarks for the event, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt stressed that “gender justice is not negotiable: it is fundamental to a just and peaceful world.” Yet she warned that despite progress made, the world is experiencing “a rising pushback on gender equality, increased polarization and structural barriers that continue to limit opportunities for women and girls,” many of whom still face “exclusion, violence and policies that deny them their fundamental rights.”
Gender justice is not negotiable: it is fundamental to a just and peaceful world
Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt, LWF General Secretary
Echoing the LWF leader’s concerns was Rev. Khader El-Yateem, executive director of Service and Justice for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He said the Beijing Platform for Action serves as an overarching policy framework for his church’s work on women’s rights. But today, he affirmed, “this work is under attack, civil society is being squeezed and funds reduced,” especially in the field of gender justice programming.
Reflecting on the context in which the Beijing Conference took place in 1995, Kristen Opalinski, ELCA’s ecumenical and inter-religious relations manager, noted that there was an air of optimism after the end of the Cold War and the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa. Authoritarian rule appeared to be in decline, she said, and there was a “renewed sense of global connectedness.”
Today, Opalinski noted, “the pendulum has swung back and authoritarianism is on the rise, in stark contrast to the gospel message.” As churches, she continued, “we are called to take a firm stand and as Lutherans, we have a unique responsibility since our theology is rooted in holding together tensions to find a way forward together.”
Women’s rights are human rights
Joanna Lilja, policy adviser for gender justice and equality at Act Church of Sweden, reflected that in light of the current pushback on gender equality and shrinking space for civil society, “it is unlikely that the Beijing Platform for Action would have been adopted, if it was presented today.” It is more important than ever, she added, “to stand up for human rights and affirm that women’s rights are human rights.”
Lilja listed positive developments that have taken place in advancing women’s rights, but she pointed to the "reform of family law, especially religious family law, which is taking place at a glacial pace.” Faith actors can play a crucial role in pushing for reform of discriminatory family laws which affect “the legal age of marriage, domestic violence, marital rape, custody of children, inheritance, as well as ownership of land and property,” she said. She singled out the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land as a “fantastic example” of success in achieving “a gender equal family law which is unique in the Middle East.”
Kaleb Sutherland, director of the ELCA’s International Leaders Program, underlined the urgency of investing in education and training of young women and girls. “Put simply,” he said, “we know that education of girls and young women has a powerful multiplier effect on progress towards all of the critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action.” That means “faster poverty reduction, better maternal health, lower child mortality, greater HIV prevention, reduced violence and much more.”
Both governments and faith actors play crucial roles in addressing the challenges
Rev. Dr Elitha Moyo, ELCA regional representative for gender justice in Southern Africa
Lutheran pastor Rev. Bafano Khumalo, co-founder and co-executive director of the South Africa-based Sonke Gender Justice network, noted that “there is a lot to celebrate over the past thirty years, but we also need to be realistic and realize that policies do not implement themselves.” He highlighted the vital role of churches in countering patriarchal stereotypes and educating young men and boys to reinforce messages of shared responsibility and leadership, both in church and in society.
Rev. Dr Elitha Moyo, ELCA’s regional representative for gender justice in Southern Africa, spoke about the pervasive problem of gender- based violence (GBV) against women and girls in her home country, Zimbabwe. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe has made “significant strides” in raising awareness about the issues, which include intimate partner violence, child marriage, wife inheritance and female genital mutilation, she said.
Through education, community dialogues and economic empowerment of women, the church works “to challenge and transform the harmful social norms and cultural practices that perpetuate gender inequality” and normalize violence against women, Moyo continued. “Both governments and faith actors play crucial roles in addressing the challenges,” she noted. Governments should strengthen legal frameworks, increase funding of services for survivors and develop national awareness campaigns, while faith leaders must promote messages of gender equality and create safe spaces for conversations around these critical issues, she said.
As a church, Moyo insisted, “engaging with the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action is vital, because it aligns with our theological commitment to uphold the dignity and rights of all individuals. Dr Eva-Marita Rinne-Koistinen, senior advisor at Finn Church Aid, which partners with LWF on gender justice work, concluded by underlining the importance of celebrating the successes of women at local level, bringing their voices to the halls of power where decision-making takes place.
