Josephine Hicks, Chief Church Relations Officer
“Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will, with God’s help.” This portion of the Baptismal Covenant reflects a driving principle behind all of Episcopal Relief & Development’s work. In everything we do, we seek to respect the dignity of every human being. This includes eliminating barriers to growth and development. For women and children, those barriers can include unequal access to economic resources and decision making. Worse, women and children too often suffer from violence. Violence has a devastating impact, not only on the women who are direct victims of violence, but also on families and communities. It also contributes to cycles of poverty. By contrast, preventing violence, promoting equal access to economic opportunities and decision making, and cultivating women as leaders helps women thrive and become productive contributors to their communities and economies. This toolkit will help you and your congregation learn more about these important issues and Episcopal Relief & Development’s transformative work in this area.

Tammi Mott, Vice President, International Program Operations
At Episcopal Relief & Development, we and our partners around the world share a vision for the work we do. It is a vision of community where all people — regardless of age, sex, gender or gender identity — live together in abundant dignity, trust, hope and love. This vision springs from our faith in the goodness of creation and our belief that every being is created equally in God’s image. This vision is sustained by our deep commitment to our work, as demonstrated throughout the stories and resource links in this toolkit, which are both hope-filled and transformational in helping women and girls to rise up empowered and resilient. Be it for 16 or 365 days, I invite you to join with us and our global partners as we journey toward this vision. I lift up to you this toolkit and the opportunities it provides to learn more, pray more and do more so that, by our working together, gender-based violence may truly be no more.

The Rev. Pascual Torres, Co-founder and Executive Director, Siempre Unidos
“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Siempre Unidos is a faith-based organization committed to eradicating gender-based violence (GBV) and all other forms of violence and discrimination. We welcome the initiative launched by Episcopal Relief & Development, 16 Days of Activism against GBV, by sharing stories, reflecting together, praying and acting. For those who accept the invitation, the toolkit provides resources for the journey that will empower them to respond effectively and to step firmly into the fight to eradicate a form of violence so subtle that it masks itself as culturally correct, socially accepted, harmless and sometimes even funny. The material in this toolkit reflects its roots and connection with the Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Church as it is written in its Book of Common Prayer: “Will you persevere in resisting evil … Will you seek to serve Christ in all persons … Will you strive for justice… and respect the dignity of every human being?” it asks. And the people respond, “I will with God´s help. Amen.”

Dear Friends and Allies in the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence,

As the Director of Gender Initiatives Cluster at Episcopal Relief & Development, I am honored to present this 16 Days of Activism toolkit. This resource is designed to inspire faith-based action and foster deep reflection on ending gender-based violence (GBV)—a critical issue that affects millions of lives globally.

The stark reality is that worldwide, an estimated 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. This isn’t just a statistic; it represents countless individual stories of pain, resilience, and the potential for transformation. As someone who is 1 in 3 of those who’ve experienced violence, I have dedicated my entire adult life to addressing GBV and supporting survivors to access the essential services they need to recover and heal. Survivors of GBV are not just numbers, they are people deserving of dignity, respect and support.

Episcopal Relief & Development’s work in communities across the world has shown us the transformative power of faith-based approaches in addressing GBV. In Liberia, where over 90% of the population identifies as either Christian or Muslim, we’ve witnessed remarkable change through interfaith collaboration and community-led initiatives.

Take, for instance, Mother Susanna, a pastor in Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia. Once hesitant to speak up about violence against women and girls, Mother Susanna now proudly raises her voice to reduce violence in her community and actively supports survivors. Her journey exemplifies how our programs build confidence and support local leaders to become powerful advocates for change.

Our approach recognizes the crucial role that faith leaders play in shaping community attitudes and behaviors. In Grand Gedeh, Liberia, we’ve seen Christian and Muslim leaders unite in their efforts to prevent violence against women and girls. This interfaith cooperation not only addresses GBV but also contributes to broader social cohesion, even during potentially divisive times like elections.

Young people are also at the forefront of this change. In Bong County, we met a youth group creating dramas to illustrate how to combat predatory behavior in schools. Their energy and optimism for a violence-free future is truly inspiring and demonstrates the potential for long-term, generational change.

In rural Burundi, we’ve seen the transformative power of community-based interventions. Through our partner, the Service Anglican pour le Développement Communautaire (SADC), we support a safe house for survivors of gender-based violence. This initiative goes beyond providing immediate support; it encourages survivors to become community volunteers, challenging cultural gender norms and offering hope to others. The story of Chantal, who once could only greet visitors from behind a curtain and now sees her children in school and her husband participating in positive change programs, exemplifies the profound impact of our holistic approach.

This toolkit, divided into 16 Actions mirroring the 16 Days of Activism, is designed to harness this same spirit of change in your own communities. Each action provides a Scripture or quote, a fact sheet, an action step and a reflection prompt. We encourage you to use this resource with your parish, school or community, not just during the 16 Days of Activism, but as a guide for ongoing engagement throughout the year.

Our objectives are threefold: to encourage our networks to join the global effort to end violence against women; to raise awareness of GBV and the work being done to address it; and to amplify the voices and prayers of all those working towards gender equity and the empowerment of vulnerable women in their communities.

As you engage with this toolkit, remember the words of a faith leader in Grand Gedeh: “Before the program, we used to think that beating our wives was a sign of love… Now we know better.” This profound shift in perspective is what we aim to achieve—one person, one community at a time.

I invite you to join us in this crucial work and I offer my support should you need help with the action steps or reflection prompts. You are welcome to email me at nhosein@episcopalrelief.org.  Your reflections, actions, and commitment can contribute to a world where all people live in dignity, free from violence. Together, we can create lasting change.

In solidarity,

Nicole Hosein
Director of Gender Initiatives Cluster
Episcopal Relief & Development

Gender-based violence (GBV) is violence directed against people because of their sex, gender, gender identity or gender expression, or is violence that disproportionately affects people of a particular gender. Intimate-partner violence is the most pervasive form of GBV worldwide: Almost one-third (30 %) of women who have been in a relationship report experiencing some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner in their lifetime. [1] GBV reinforces stereotypes and inequalities in society, and it disproportionately affects women and girls.

The subordination of women’s rights all over the world is sustained by harmful social, cultural and religious attitudes and practices and, in some cases, is encoded in law and policy. GBV occurs in various forms, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, forced sterilization, child marriage, revenge porn and cyber-stalking. It commonly is categorized into five central inter-related forms:

• Physical violence
• Psychological violence
• Sexual violence
• Socio-economic violence
• Spiritual violence

Spiritual violence is described as coercion and control of one individual by another in a faith context that can occur within faith communities. This abuse may include: misuse of Scripture or the pulpit to control behavior; excusing violent behavior; requiring submission to abuse; and reinforcing male privilege, for example by suggesting that the abuser has a divine position or that victims’ endurance of abuse is Christ- like. [2]

On January 18, 2018 in a letter to the The Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael B, Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, President of the House of Deputies, stated:

“As our societies have been forced into fresh recognition that women in all walks of life have suffered unspoken trauma at the hands of male aggressors and harassers, we have become convinced that The Episcopal Church must work even harder to create a church that is not simply safe, but holy, humane and decent. We must commit to treating every person as a child of God, deserving of dignity and respect.” [3]

As Christians, we believe that God created all humans equally, in God’s image, and that all are worthy of dignity, adequate resources and to be in loving, liberating and life-giving relationships with God, one another and God’s creation. Our Scriptures, Jesus’ Way of Love and our Baptismal Covenant call us to love one another and to seek and serve Christ in all persons. GBV, however, continues to be an obstacle to that vision for equality, development and peace. The promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — to leave no one behind — also cannot be fulfilled without ending GBV.

Faith leaders have a unique position of trust and influence at both the individual and community levels to claim and nurture this vision, acting as catalysts of change. Ultimately, to be lasting and effective, change must occur within our own hearts, homes and communities. All are areas in which faith leaders are actively engaged.

[1] https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
[2] Restored: A Handbook for Female Christian Survivors of Domestic Abuse (2019) www.restoredrelationships.org
[3] https://houseofdeputies.org/2018/01/22/standing-tamar-letter-presiding-bishop-president-jennings/

The Episcopal Church General Convention has passed various resolutions calling for a faith-based response to gender-based violence (GBV). In 2024, the church resolved That Episcopal institutions and individuals participate in opportunities for activism and advocacy, including but not limited to, engaging with the Office of Government Relations (OGR) on issues of gender justice and gender-based violence and taking action on action alerts through OGR’s Episcopal Public Policy Network, as well as through the Episcopal Church’s work at the UN and UNCSW and by participating in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence sponsored by United Nations Women and encouraging use of Episcopal Relief and Development’s 16 Days of Activism Toolkit. [Resolution A089] This toolkit provides a framework for users to join a global faith-based movement against GBV by praying, learning and acting together.

Episcopal Relief & Development’s work engages community and faith leaders to take action and speak out against violence around the world. Its programs play a pivotal role in creating interfaith networks in many countries that provide tools, skills and support for leaders to challenge the attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate injustice and discrimination. This toolkit draws heavily from the learnings and successes from this work.

The toolkit is a set of resources specifically designed to help guide people of faith through the 16 Days of Activism and beyond, to a 365-day commitment to restoring dignity to individuals, families and communities everywhere. The toolkit will remain accessible as a usable and valuable resource all year.

Episcopal Relief & Development encourages users with a social media account to share Scripture and facts and to pray for all those experiencing GBV as well as for those actively engaged in ministries to combat it. The toolkit contains resources for faith- and community-based action. Users also can share how they are using these resources by tagging @EpiscopalRelief or using the hashtag #16DaysofActivism. A Faith- and Community-Based toolkit This toolkit inspires prolonged reflection rooted in faith. It provides users with Scripture that can reinforce our belief in the inherent and equal dignity of all God’s children as made in God’s image, and it centers responses to survivors of GBV in our faith. All of the reflections and actions contained within the toolkit can be completed alone. However, groups such as youth and women’s ministries, as well as collective prayer groups, are encouraged to consider using them.

A Faith and Community-Based Toolkit

This toolkit inspires prolonged reflection rooted in faith. It provides users with Scripture that can reinforce our belief in the inherent and equal dignity of all God’s children as made in God’s image, and it centers responses to survivors of GBV in our faith.

All of the reflections and actions contained within the toolkit can be completed alone. However, groups such as youth and women’s ministries, as well as collective prayer groups, are encouraged to consider using them.

An Evidence-Based Toolkit

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in his statement to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, spoke about the disproportionate suffering of women: women of color; women of African descent; indigenous women; women with disabilities; women experiencing discrimination for their ethnicity, race, caste, descent, language, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression; migrant, refugee, internally displaced, undocumented or stateless women; enslaved, trafficked or incarcerated women; rural women; women experiencing poverty; unemployed women; women whose work is considered immoral, illegal or unacceptable; older and aging women; widows; and women who are heads of households.

Systems and structures that oppress women based on their gender and other intersecting and marginalized identities can dramatically heighten vulnerability to GBV, the presiding bishop noted.

In response, the toolkit includes facts about violence experienced by some of the most vulnerable women globally. It provides sobering facts about GBV to raise awareness of the extent to which it occurs. It also highlights responses and preventative measures led primarily by faith communities. The toolkit contains resources for faith-based action that are supported by evidence of impact and/or are recognized as best practice.

Episcopal Relief & Development has divided the toolkit into 16 Actions, parallel to the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, but encourages users to regard the toolkit as a living document that can be referred to and utilized for all 365 days of the year.