HELPING WOMEN BREAK FREE FROM VIOLENCE, INJUSTICE AND OPPRESSION

The Ash Wednesday penitential psalm cries out, “Make me hear of joy and gladness: let the bones which you have broken rejoice” (Ps 51)

Lent can be a time of deep reflection on where we have fallen short, both personally and as communities of faith. Underlying such reflection is a profound desire for the rejoicing that comes when things are put to right.

Many communities with whom our partners work have this same yearning for joy and gladness as they seek to remove barriers to the fullness of life of all their members. One such persistent and deep-seated barrier, common to many communities including our own, is the critical need to end gender-based violence and enhance the equality of men and women.

Building Peace

The Anglican Church in Zambia is passionate about ending gender-based violence and working towards women’s equality in that country. The church works with local communities, especially in rural areas, to form Gender Committees and Gender Action Groups which are trained to prevent and respond effectively to gender-based violence when it occurs in their villages. Both men and women are members of the groups.

“We are motivated by the desire for peace within our community,” said Stephen, a village teacher. “We have also formed Neighbourhood Watch, and we know to call the police where a crime has been committed. There is now peace in some homes where women were being beaten up by their husbands. There is also a need to teach young children about good practices”.

“The village headmen are very invested in this program. Many members of the community are involved, including reporting incidents.”

A local Baptist pastor, who has joined both his village men’s group and the Gender Action Group, said, “What inspired me to join was the love and cooperation that the group displayed. Now the churches in Kalwani are doing different things together in love and cooperation.”

Their work is paying off, as families and whole villages find the peace that had eluded them for so long.

Gaining Confidence

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the Anglican Churches in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea are meeting the challenge of women’s empowerment by providing programs in Language, Literacy and Numeracy. Papua New Guinea ranks 160 out of 161 countries on the United Nations Development Program’s Gender Equality Index. The literacy program provides a path to equality and economic empowerment for the women who participate.

Silvia, an adult literacy student in Papua New Guinea said, “I finished school in Grade 6 in 1992. I now have six children and work as a Sunday School teacher in my parish. I began literacy classes about a year ago. Unfortunately, I’ve had to miss some lessons because of my commitments with my children. But my goal is to improve my future. I hope to become “somebody” in the future, like a teacher or someone who works in the tourism industry or hospitality sector. Slowly I’m learning to read and write. And I’ve gained a lot of confidence and am very grateful for that.”

In Vanuatu, although progress has been made towards gender equality in recent years, there is still much to be done, particularly in remote rural areas where opportunities are still very limited.

The Anglican Church of Melanesia’s Literacy program coordinator in Vanuatu, Gracetella Smith, said, “This program has helped a lot of people in the communities where education is limited. Many learners who do not have access to schooling know how to read and write through this program. Some of the outcomes are exceptional. Some of the learners become leaders and other positions in their communities.”

One of the students, Deborah, said, “I didn’t know how to read or write because I didn’t have a chance to go to school. Now I’m a Language, Literacy, and Numeracy student. In class I have tried my best to know how to read and write. Through the program I know my alphabet, how to build words, and I can write my name.”

Becoming Economically Empowered

In Kenya, women and teenage girls are the most vulnerable group in the country. Their greater vulnerability to poverty is worsened by gender-based violence and harmful cultural attitudes to gender. Many also have limited control over land and other resources. In the Philippines, women form a large part of the agricultural workforce, but returns on their labour are low.

ABM AID’s church partners in the Philippines and Kenya facilitate women’s leadership and empowerment as they promote effective livelihood programs in those countries, particularly in rural areas where poverty levels are high.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that have the most impact on women’s empowerment. Things like shortening the distances women and children need to travel to fetch water for drinking and washing. Martha, from the Kenyan village of Kyua, said, “It only takes a short time now to get water. So, we are very happy.” She improves her livelihood by being part of a local women’s group.

Thanks to the increased number of these water structures installed through our Kenyan church partner, Anglican Development Services Eastern, women like Sabina can also now grow a variety of vegetables all year round, both for home consumption and sale. This improves nutrition and health and enables families to contribute more to community life.

In the Philippines, Marietta’s income from the sale of food has increased markedly since she joined a project focussed on traditional seeds and natural fertilisers which was offered by IFI-VIMROD. The project has also taught her about stewardship of the land and its precious resources. “Stewardship begins with ourselves. This value is developed through experience, learning, and commitment. When the staff of IFI-VIMROD only gave me six pieces of corn kernel, and two tomato seeds, I did not think it was something silly, rather I saw it as a gift to teach us about developing and sustaining even the smallest things God has given us,” she said. Marietta was also elected vice-chairperson of her organisation and appointed its focal person for seed banking and distribution.

ABM AID’s other church partner in the Philippines, E-CARE, also works to empower women through improved livelihoods and learning how to protect their environment.

Lyn, Ofelia, and Rosalinda are members of Songcolan Seashore Livelihood Association (SSLA) in Batan Island in Aklan. They plant propagules of ‘bakhaw’ trees, a common mangrove tree species found in their locality. SSLA is a community organisation working with E-CARE, one of ABM AID’s partners in the Philippines. In addition to their work in environmental protection, the women engage in E-CARE’s Receivers to Givers program, which works with the strengths of the community to get access to cheap capital and then pass that opportunity on to others. SSLA works with their barangay’s (local township’s) Department of Environment and Natural Resources, particularly in mangrove protection and regeneration. SSLA is strongly supported by the barangay. Its most recent project with E-CARE, a rainwater catchment built around the roofing of the barangay hall, provides clean water to more than 50 households.

It’s wonderful to be able to support women to flourish as they build peace in homes and communities, gain confidence in the wider world and become economically empowered. It’s also great to play a part in supporting communities to be restored to wholeness after being trained in how to end gender-based violence and other injustices against women and girls.

You can be part of this work too. Your gift to ABM AID’s Lent Appeal 2025 will ensure more women and their communities can benefit from the work of our partners.

Join with ABM AID and our partners to see the vision of the Fourth Mark of Mission become a reality.

Help women break free from violence, injustice, and oppression this Lent.

To find out how you can join us for the online launch of the ABM AID Lent Appeal and learn more about the work of our partners in Zambia and PNG, please visit https://www.abmission.org/events/

Prayer

Almighty Creator, eternal God,
we give you thanks for all that has already been achieved
in Kenya, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vanuatu and Zambia to address gender violence and disparity.

As ABM AID’s church partners continue to collaborate
to end violence and inequality,
to empower women with education, environmental awareness, and livelihood opportunities,
and to restore dignity to vulnerable communities,
we ask you to send your Spirit to empower us all to do this work,
to inspire others in each country to join in this work,
and to encourage more people to contribute towards this work.

We ask this through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
in whom we are all one,
now and for ever.

Amen.