Restoring Dignity – A committment to end violence against Women

Women of Faith

The world’s major faith traditions – each in its own way – uphold the inviolable dignity of the human being as rooted in the Sacred. While respecting religious differences, the Restoring Dignity draws on the commitment and resources of faith congregations, institutions, communities and individual believers to bring an end to violence against women and girls. Join us to end violence and restore dignity of women.

Violence against women is wrong.

Religions recognise the fundamental dignity of every woman and man. We know—each according to her or his respective religious tradition—that the true dignity of every woman is given by and rooted in the Sacred. This dignity is inviolable. It is not given by cultures, states, societies, communities or individuals. It cannot be taken away by them. But the recognition of this dignity must be “restored” whenever it is violated. It must be actively respected, honored and protected.

Violence against women is prevalent. It occurs in public and in the privacy of the home. It is unspeakably hurtful to women. It impacts women in all their roles, including as mothers. It also damages families, communities, and ultimately all of us.

Violence against women includes rape and its use as a weapon of war, the practice of forced marriages of girl children, the bearing of the brunt of extreme poverty and the selective aborting of unborn females.

Some have misinterpreted their religious traditions as supporting patterns of violence against women. We—together with our respective religious leaders—reject this. Honesty calls us all to acknowledge that violence against women is wrong.

Eliminating violence against women is a religious duty. Doing so will also nourish all of us for healthier and more fulfilling lives.

The Religions for Peace Executive Committee commits to:

  • Work to engage religious communities to prevent acts of violence against women,
  • Mobilise the compassion of religious communities to help care for and heal survivors of violence,
  • Engage men and boys in the prevention of violence against women, and
  • Advocate for changes in public policy and opinion that contribute to violence against women.

Peace is central to our diverse religious traditions. Violence against women is an assault on peace. All religious people should work to uphold and restore the dignity of women.

The world’s major faith traditions – each in its own way – uphold the inviolable dignity of the human being as rooted in the Sacred. While respecting religious differences, the Restoring Dignity draws on the commitment and resources of faith congregations, institutions, communities and individual believers to bring an end to violence against women and girls. Join us to end violence and restore dignity of women.

Religions for Peace Global Women of Faith Network consists of more than 1000 religious women’s organizations who pool resources and achieve results beyond what they could each accomplish alone through regional networks on five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America, and national networks in 30 countries.

Download the Religions for Peace Statement

Visit the Website – Restoring Dignity

Restoring Dignity, an initiative of Religions for Peace

 

Restoring Dignity is a global initiative of Religions for Peace designed to introduce the issue of violence against women as a fundamental challenge of peace making. The new website offers users interactive ways to engage in the initiative, including signing a pledge, sending an e-card, making a donations, designing a poster and/or an e-card, as well as resources for offline actions and activities such as holding an interfaith retreat and supporting survivors. To learn more about the initiative, or take action please visit www.restoringdignity.religionsforpeaceinternational.org .

Source: Restoring Dignity

Photo Credit: Restoring Dignity