Category: Communities coming together to overcome GBV
Subcategory: Academic Articles
Abstract
This article examines the critical role of faith groups in addressing gender-based violence (GBV), with a particular focus on the need for both men and women to become active agents of change. The intersection of religion and gender in addressing GBV is complex and multifaceted, posing a significant challenge to traditional approaches that rely solely on gendered strategies. Neither the traditional "women in solidarity" initiatives nor the more recent "men-only" initiatives can effectively address GBV in the patriarchal realities of faith communities in the Global South.
While acknowledging the gains made through these strategies, the research highlights the need for a more nuanced approach that recognizes the critical role of women and men as partners in confronting GBV. Faith communities have a unique potential to address GBV, but their ability to do so is often hindered by a patriarchal belief system that fails to recognize or prioritize GBV. Given the pervasiveness of patriarchy and male privilege within most faith communities, faith leaders, particularly those who are male, should be targeted in particular.
It is essential to recognize that GBV is not a women's issue, but rather a societal issue that requires collective action and ownership from all individuals, including men and boys. However, given the restrictive patriarchal structures that often exist in faith communities, it is crucial that men, especially male faith leaders, be engaged and incorporated into faith-based intervention strategies. This does not mean that men should be the sole targets or actors; rather, it is a call for female and male partnership in owning and addressing GBV within and through faith communities.