LWF Gender Justice Policy

LWF Gender Justice Policy

The Council 2013 approved the LWF Gender Justice Policy. The 2009 LWF faith reflection on gender and power, and inclusivity and gender justice resolutions of the Eleventh Assembly in 2010 laid the foundation for this important tool. The gender policy will assist the communion to achieve equality between women and men by implementing measures that promote justice and dignity.

Impact of the Gender Justice Policy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Gender Justice policies approach the intersection between gender, race, class, disabilities, religion, human sexuality, contributing in this way to address common concerns to many Latin American societies, including ways to overcome the challenge of violence against women.

How this has been possible?

In the LAC region (Latin America and the Caribbean) the Women and Gender Justice Network with support from the LWF Women in Church and Society Program has taken the leadership in ensuring that the church leaders (Bishops, presidents and youth) become familiar with the content of the Gender Justice Policy and allocate a space to discuss about gender justice challenges and opportunities during the annual Conference of Leadership. Some leaders and churches have consciously taken on discussions about gender justice, and gender-based violence and are eager to discuss the LWF Gender Justice Policy.

Impact of the Gender Justice Policy in Africa

How was this possible?

• The gender justice efforts in the ELCZ started as a project on mainstreaming gender in the church, supported by the LWF Department of Mission and Development and it became a national structure within the church, which oversees the articulation of gender concerns with the pastoral work.

• The participation of two of their pastors in LWF trainings on advocacy and in the UN Commission on the Status of Women have strengthened the church awareness and skills to connect issues of violence against women and discrimination with the church mission.

Impact of the Gender Justice Policy in Central Western Europe

The ELCZ is dealing with violence against women through Bible studies and at church meetings, complemented with several gender awareness training workshops for pastors and bishops since the adoption of the LWF Gender Justice Policy.

How was this possible?

As it is the trend among the Nordic countries, the Norwegian society has overcome many expressions of discrimination and injustice toward women; however the Church of Norway has found inspiration and useful tools in processes led by broader constituencies, such as the LWF Gender Justice Policy and the World Council of Churches Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women.

Other connections, processes and important points related to the LWF GJP

LWF process is being used as a model to advice gender justice policy developments in the World Council of Churches and in Islamic Relief World Worldwide. LWF WICAS was invited to take part of the newly created WCC gender advisory group. With Islamic Relief the collaboration focuses on providing advice on the draft policy they produced as well as planning together possible further actions over the coming years.

Gender Justice policies are multilingual

The GJP is being translated in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Finnish, Arabic, Korean, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Swahili. To read the GJP document in your regional languages please click on this link   https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/resource-lwf-gender-justice-policy