wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Eradicating violence against women

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 24/11/2009 14:33:55

>CRIES OF ANGUISH, STORIES OF HOPE: 
>STUDY RESOURCES ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

On the International Day for the Eradication of Violence against
Women, 25 November, the World Council of Churches (WCC) announced
a series of Lenten study resources for congregations and
individuals who want to do their bit to end violence against
women. 

Featuring films and stories from places as diverse as Colombia,
India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and New Zealand, the WCC
Decade to Overcome Violence website will host the interactive
resources from 17 February until 4 April 2010. 

Church congregations, community groups and individuals will be
invited to sign up to follow the bible studies, use the
liturgical resources and become involved in online discussions to
advance the cause of ending violence against women. The resources
will be available as a downloadable toolkit. 

The campaign is a partnership of the WCC, the World Student
Christian Federation (WSCF) and the World Young Women's Christian
Association (World YWCA). 

"These stories are shocking. But what also shines through is the
resilience of these women. Against incredible odds, communities
are finding ways to build solidarity and act compassionately",
says Dr Fulata Mbano Moyo, WCC programme executive for Women in
Church and Society. 

"By calling violence against women by its real name – sin –
and challenging the silence which has traditionally surrounded
this issue, especially within the church, we are inviting people
around the globe to work towards healing and wholeness, in their
own lives and in the wider world", Mbano Moyo adds. 

"We want to show that this is a global problem, affecting all
cultures and every part of society," says WSCF general secretary
Rev. Michael Wallace. "Endemic levels of violence are a major
theological challenge and a significant issue for young people.
We cannot pretend this problem doesn't exist." 

The stories of violence differ – from caste oppression to
human trafficking, from domestic violence to systematic rape as a
war crime – but the human costs are the same in terms of
suffering, fear, stigma and shame. 

The cost of violence is borne not only by the women who are
victims, but by their families and the perpetrators themselves.
These study resources invite participants to bear witness and to
reflect on ways that healing may come from honestly dealing with
the sin, and having solidarity and compassion for both victims
and perpetrators. 

A sample of the Lenten study resources "Cries of Anguish,
Stories of Hope" is available at: 
http://women.overcomingviolence.org

Additional information: Juan Michel +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507
6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.