Ecumenical Christians Join Thousands in Condemning Gender Inequality
A coalition of ecumenical Christians from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) spoke out on behalf of women’s rights, at the two-week United Nations conference in New York on Monday.
A coalition of ecumenical Christians from the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) spoke out on behalf of women’s rights, at the two-week United Nations conference in New York on Monday.
The Christian representatives joined thousands at the U.N. headquarters to reaffirm a 150-page platform for women’s equality in the economy, the family, education and political life. The platform for action was initially adopted at the 1995 U.N. women’s conference in Beijing.
The ecumenical delegation, an international medley of key women leaders from the two global groups, called on churches to more vigorously oppose violence and injustice against women.
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“Churches must stand firm with women and advocate for women’s human rights in all areas of life. They should represent the voices and concerns of their communities by calling on governments to be accountable to their commitments to the Beijing Platform for Action,” the ecumenical delegation said. “In particular churches are called upon to be more outspoken on gender based violence, economic justice, HIV/AIDS, war and conflicts.
“Churches are called upon to make violence against women a priority.”
The delegation also urged churches to analyze the root causes of economic injustice against women and to lobby for policies and legislations that will block the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation.
“We call upon the churches to analyze thoroughly the root causes of economic injustice with a gender perspective and to highlight the plight of women who bear the brunt of the burden of poverty,” the group said. “Churches can use their worldwide structures and networks and their significant roles in communities to take strong action, to lobby for legislation, policies, institutional mechanisms, education and awareness.”
The delegation concluded: “In this time of heightened insecurity of war and conflicts, rape and sexual violence has increasingly become a tactic of war. Women are especially vulnerable as their bodies become a means for demoralizing and destroying women, their families and communities.
“Acknowledging that churches have valuable experience in conflict management and peace building, we call to their attention the need to include gender perspective in shaping and implementing policies and programs.
“Let us pray for healing and transformation where women and men can live in true partnership with mutual respect and love.”
The WCC/WARC delegation consists of Sherattan-Bisnauth of Guyana, Suzanne Matale of Zambia, Alina Saucedo Paucara of Bolivia and Carolin Callenius of Germany.
