The United Nations has chosen a joint Anglican Communion and Mothers’ Union webinar, “What’s faith got to do with it”, as an official parallel event for the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65). The webinar will highlight the positive work being done by women in Christian communities around the world to achieve gender justice and to prevent and end gender-based violence.
It will showcase the ways in which Christian gender justice advocates are engaging at community and structural levels, and within Church institutions. Panellists from three different continents will share their work and its impact and explore the theologies that underpin the response to gender justice.
This year’s session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place mostly online, allowing members of the public to register for parallel events who would otherwise not be able to attend.
The Project Director for Gender Justice at the Anglican Communion, Mandy Marshall, said: “as an Anglican delegation we have forged relationships over the last year in the preparations for the event and are thrilled to be able to share our work via an online webinar. It is so important that the Anglican Communion is represented at the Commission on the Status of Women to highlight the amazing work that is being done around the communion on bringing about gender justice and ending gender based violence.
“Of course, there is still a lot of work to do as a Communion. With the World Health Organisation (WHO) stating on International Women's Day that one in three women will experience physical and / or sexual violence, the need to focus and address on gender justice and gender-based violence is more critical than ever.”
The Chief Executive of the Mothers’ Union, Bev Jullien, said: “Mothers’ Union is delighted to be partnering with the Anglican Communion Office on the parallel event, ‘what’s faith got to do with it?’, with Barbara Mugisha, our Provincial Development Coordinator for Uganda joining the panel, under the chairmanship of fellow MU member, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally.
“Embedded in their communities around the world, faith actors are uniquely well positioned to challenge damaging social norms and enable transformative action”, Bev Julian said. “Barbara’s story shares how, in partnership with the church and key community stakeholders, MU was able, through a series of radio broadcasts and managed follow up in 2020, to create high levels of awareness of domestic abuse during the pandemic, to support survivors and to educate both men and women to change behaviour.”
The webinar will take place on Thursday 18 March at 11.30 am EST (3.30 pm GMT).
- Further information about the webinar is available here. Prior registration is essential and can be done here.