Womenâs centre in Kingston, Jamaica, offering education to young mothers so they can continue their education after giving birth. Photo: WCC/Peter Williams
From peace in the home to peace in the world: make education safe for all
Joint news release with World Council of Churches
(LWI) - A coalition of faith-based organizations is emphasizing a joint approach in addressing unprecedented levels of violence against women and girls.
A coalition of faith-based organizations, including the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Anglican Communion, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Mission 21, World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, World YWCA, Church of Sweden and Finn Church Aid are reiterating the importance of an inter-religious approach to the 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence, which is observed annually throughout the world.
“From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All,” is the theme for this year’s focus. The period begins on 25 November with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and continues until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
UN Women says one third of women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. More than 125 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital mutilation across countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Early and forced marriage, lack of education
The campaign hones in on the connection between children, early and forced marriage and lack of access to education.
It calls for schools to be held as protected spaces, for greater gender justice awareness among girls and their families, for rites of passage and other gender and sexual socialization processes within cultures and religions to be recognized, and for sexual and reproductive health and rights for girls to be viewed as crucial in efforts to overcome violence against women and promote women’s empowerment.
The coalition has pledged to take the following actions, working together and within their own contexts as organizations:
- gather sacred narratives from Islamic and Christian traditions on protection and empowerment of women and girls
- highlight existing initiatives to overcome violence against women and girls, such as Thursdays in Black, the NoXcuses campaign, Imams against Domestic Abuse, LWF Gender Justice Policy, the We Will Speak Out coalition and scholarships for women’s theological education
- share prayers of lament, confession and blessing related to young girls
- share the importance of working with faith leaders and encourage them to pledge to never sanctify any union that involves a minor.
The coalition plans to collaborate closely with UN agencies and diplomatic missions, particularly those working to overcome early and forced marriage and ensure access to education, to strengthen local communities’ ability to reject the practice of early marriage, especially in countries where the incidence of early marriage is high, by mobilizing faith constituencies.
The campaign is linked to UN human rights treaty bodies and mechanisms, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Universal Periodic Review of human rights, and Security Council resolution 1325 that affirms the role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts.
Dignity of girls
Rev. Dr Elaine Neuenfeldt, LWF Secretary for Women in Church and Society, says this year’s theme offers an opportunity for churches to openly and directly discuss the problem of early and forced marriage. The aim of the campaign is to encourage faith organizations and congregations building awareness of the sad reality that so many girls face.
By engaging faith leaders and advocates at different levels, it is hoped they will address the topic in sermons, conversations, group work and women’s fellowship.
“We want to bring this to a public level. It should be part of an agenda that addresses the public role of faith organizations. Girls should be able to flourish, as human beings, not as child brides, not as commodities to be negotiated,” Neuenfeldt comments.
“We want to see girls with dignity, with access to education, with the ability to make choices, to decide their future. This is our dream – a world without violence and discrimination,” Neuenfeldt said.
Individuals and local groups are invited to join the campaign.
