“Some 70 percent of women experience in their lifetime some form of physical or sexual violence from men – the majority from husbands, intimate partners or someone they know.”– Ban Ki-moon.
Yesterday, in his address marking the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a new initiative aimed at mobilizing men to get involved in the campaign. In announcing the formation of the Network of Men Leaders, Ban called on men and boys everywhere to combat violence against women, saying “Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us … refuse to tolerate it.”
VIDEO LINK: http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/unifeed/d/13964.html
“While there may be no ‘one size fits all’ solutions,” responded Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, “I strongly believe that prevention can be as effective as a cure. If not better, it is still encouraging that men leaders have resolved to confront gender-based violence head-on, particularly through fostering the culture of tolerance and respect for women. I believe that involving men leaders is the right direction to go.”
Additionally, this week the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical faith organizations are also advocating at the United Nations to expand the message that good theology, which emphasizes gender equality, is essential to real progress in promoting women and curbing violence.
“What we are seeking to do is to ensure that our theology does not diminish but rather empowers women,” Christine Housel, the global project manager of the Geneva-based World Student Christian Federation, told Ecumenical News International.
“We are calling on women of faith from around the world to come together in their churches and ask, ‘Have these goals for women’s leadership, education and development been met in our communities?’” challenged Emily Davila, chairperson of Ecumenical Women at the United Nations, a faith-based coalition focusing on women’s rights internationally.
“In the current era, theology does not seem relevant to our real, daily lives,” Housel said in an interview with Ecumenical News International. “Theology can easily seem like something abstract and unrelated to us at best, or like a set of systems and beliefs that restrict and oppress at worst.”
“A conviction that God is real and seeks to partner with us in transforming injustice into just peace and fear into love, motivates the students and alumni of the federation. Therefore, theology is at the core of the spiral of analysis, action, and praxis for these leaders around the world,” noted Housel.
“We may not be able to change the violence of power between men and women in Arab society overnight,” Guida Anani from the CAFA Organization in Lebanon, said in response to Ban Ki-moon’s initiative. “However, that doesn’t mean that we cannot change violent and abusive behavior toward women and girls. While there are many men and boys in the Arab world who are opposed to violence against women and girls, it’s absolutely crucial that more and more are brought into this equation.”
Initiatives such as Say NO – UNiTE, The White Ribbon Campaign, UNIFEM, and the Half the Sky Movement continue the tradition of ending violence against women, dismantling patriarchy and male privilege, and promoting justice and equality for women around the world.
Churches have a leadership role to play in this work. And there’s still much work to be done.
You can find the full video from yesterday’s event here.
Justin Fung is the policy and organizing assistant for Sojourners. A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, he also blogs regularly at Gershom’s Journal.
