Module 5: Women, girls and gender equality

Full text of commitment V

Context

Women and girls have always suffered from patriarchal interpretations of almost all religions. This is not limited to any particular religion or region. The resulting male domination is a negative inheritance in virtually all cultures, even though some progress has been made in the past decades. Women’s right to vote, for example, was not recognized across the world until quite recently, including in Western countries. Equal pay for the same work by women and men is still far from a reality in almost all parts of the world. Religious interpretations have been invoked as grounds for inequality, including through States’ reservations to human rights treaties. Unsurprisingly, many women’s rights activists have developed negative attitudes towards religion. This polarization has created a vicious circle threatening equality and solidarity, at the very nucleus level of the family itself. Most family-related issues have a faith dimension in many parts of the world, including marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance. The confusion between cultural heritage, social traditions and religious precepts adds to the complexity of handling this important intersection between religions and human rights. In addition, the ideological divide between faith groups and human rights activists on sexual and reproductive health matters adds tensions between faith and rights. Constructive engagement to search for common ground in this context should continue. Faith actors have a role to play and women’s and girls’ rights have much to gain in this regard.

Additional supporting documents

Commitment V is related to Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims at “achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls”. In support of the module on commitment V, the training file should also include the full text of joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on harmful practices. It stresses that “One of the primary challenges in the elimination of harmful practices relates to the lack of awareness or capacity of relevant professionals, including front-line professionals, to adequately understand, identify and respond to incidents or the risks of harmful practices. A comprehensive, holistic and effective approach to capacity-building should aim to engage influential leaders, such as traditional and religious leaders”.

In addition, CEDAW general recommendation No. 36 notes that “the discriminatory and harmful practices of child and/or forced marriage, associated with religious or cultural practices in some societies, negatively impacts the right to education.” In this context, the Committee recommends facilitating “dialogue with religious and traditional leaders on the value of educating girls and the importance of addressing practices and customs that act as barriers to their participation at all levels of education” and encouraging “religious and community leaders to oppose the practice of female genital mutilation and to inform and educate their communities on the dangers of the practice”.

In his study on freedom of religion or belief and the status of women in the light of religion and traditions, Special Rapporteur Abdelfattah Amor stressed the importance of dialogue between the authorities, religious leaders and other members of society: “In the case of certain practices that are harmful to women’s health in some countries, such as genital mutilation, it has been possible through such dialogue to define strategies based on the recognition that these practices are a cultural and not a religious matter and that some of them are even contrary to religion. Enlightened religious officials have an important role to play in informing women of their rights, especially when such rights, which have been established by religious precepts, are misunderstood, infringed or manipulated by conflicting patriarchal traditions or customs.”

In terms of statements by religious leaders, the learning file could include the recommendations of the international conference of scholars concerning a ban on abuse of the female body as well as the statement of the religious leaders of Cyprus condemning all forms of violence against women and girls. The European Union Gender Action Plan III, which was issued in November 2020, notes that “the EU should support mobilisation of religious actors for gender equality in line with the Faith for Rights framework”.

Furthermore, an Expert Consultation Process on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Gender Equality and SDGs in 2019 involved a diverse range of secular and faith-based experts from different institutional, professional, religious and geographic backgrounds and with expertise in different areas. In this context, it was stressed that “religious actors are not only victims or perpetrators of human rights violations; they are also often staunch advocates and supporters of human rights, finding motivation and justification in religion for their struggles towards greater inclusion, equality and justice. [Footnote: See e.g. the Faith for Rights Declaration]”.

Peer-to-peer learning exercises

Unpacking: Consistent with the usual beginning of the “Faith for Rights” learning modules, participants would break down commitment V on gender equality into different components. In doing so, they may list the standards therein, identify the corresponding action points and determine which actors should assume what responsibility (“Who owes what to whom?”). The participants should unpack these components, taking into account the specificities of their own context, that is not considering these issues in general terms. It is important for facilitators to reiterate this point. This helps to avoid abstract discussions and reflects the principles of introspectiveness and action-orientation, both stressed by the 18 commitments on “Faith for Rights”.

This individual exercise can be followed by an interactive discussion on the interlinkages between the different components of commitment V. A minimum of 20-30 minutes should be devoted to this discussion, as this commitment is particularly rich in interrelated elements.

Tweeting: Participants individually summarize this commitment in less than 140 characters. They select what summaries are best formulated in terms of clarity and conciseness. This part of the exercise is meant for de-constructing the commitment and reenergising the discussions. One possible result of this tweeting exercise could be as follows: “We commit to ensure non-discrimination and gender equality, particularly regarding harmful stereotypes and practices or gender-based violence”.

Translating: Similar to the tweeting exercise, participants could be asked to “translate” this commitment into child-friendly language or into a local dialect. The idea is to stimulate discussion about the most important elements and appropriate ways of simplifying the message, without losing its substance.

Linking the dots: This exercise should neither proliferate the discussion nor attempt to resolve all related issues; it merely aims at highlighting their interdependence and intersectionality. Facilitators should avoid the discussion derailing into too many related subjects. The aim is to train participants on looking at the full picture while remaining focused on their own angles. It is not necessary that every issue be resolved, but the overall complexity and interlinkages need to be understood. For example, referring to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, participants could list the different human rights that are not fully respected or raise difficulties for women (or girls in particular) as a result of perceptions and practices in their own religious communities.

Discussing the relationship between the components of commitment V raises some of the very toughest questions: Why do women and girls suffer discrimination under most religious traditions? What are the origins of this phenomena? Is gender discrimination a conscious attitude? What is the responsibility of male religious leaders in this regard? Would the situation differ if there were female religious leaders? What prevents this? Are media also a source of gender prejudice? What negative stereotypes about women prevail in the cultural environment of participants? Have participants ever addressed such stereotypes within their functions as faith actors? How, or why not?

Additional examples of questions that could usefully be offered by facilitators in this exercise include: Are the origins of the problem of gender biases theological, economic or cultural? Examples should be given by facilitators to the effect that gender discrimination has never been limited to one or some regions but extends to the whole world. How do participants conceive the dynamics of causality within their own societies in light of their personal experiences? What is the impact on gender discrimination of the way we raise our children? Are there any religious grounds for differentiation in the way parents raise boys and girls? How is a stereotype created? How can it be removed? What is the role of faith actors?

Facilitators are also encouraged to bring into these discussions concrete cases that may have been recently the focus of public attention or controversy in their country or province (an example previously used was Québec) where the training takes place (Collective exercise for 15-20 minutes). In addition, the facilitator could refer to discussions concerning “Faith for Rights” during the considerations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women of reports from States parties to CEDAW, including Botswana, Costa Rica, Fiji, Niger and Nigeria.

Critical thinking: A critical discussion on the relationship between the numerous elements of this commitment could start with asking whether participants disagree with some or all of them? Can these elements be addressed separately? Are there missing elements in commitment V that could improve our fight against gender discrimination? Are there women religious leaders in the environment of participants? Why not? What are the obstacles of having more women with responsibilities within the religious sphere? (Collective exercise for 20 minutes)

Storytelling: Participants share situations that occurred to them pertaining to this commitment and how they handled them. In particular, has there been a situation where participants have had to intervene in defence of the rights of women or girls? What type of discriminatory practices are more likely to occur in the experience of participants? Who are the most influential actors in their respective areas and how can they do better to ensure gender equality? How are families part of the problem and its solution?

The facilitator may also point to the story of Jamila Mahdi, who was born in a refugee camp and her father sent her to marry one of his relatives in Iraq when she was 13 years old. After giving birth to four children, she enrolled in school, eventually graduated from university and now works as a human rights officer: “I hope one day that Iraq can be a country in which freedom of expression, belief and religion are respected.”

With regard to the transformative role of religious leaders,  the facilitator could refer to the 2006 fatwa of Al Azhar, which stresses: “Genital circumcision is a deplorable, inherited custom, which is practiced in some societies and is copied by some Muslims in several countries. There are no written grounds for this custom in the Qur’an with regard to an authentic tradition of the Prophet. The female genital circumcision practiced today harms women psychologically and physically. Therefore, the practice must be stopped in support of one of the highest values of Islam, namely to do no harm to another – in accordance with the commandment of the Prophet Mohammed ‘Accept no harm and do no harm to another’. Moreover, this is seen as punishable aggression against humankind.”

Adding faith quotes: The participants could be asked to find and add pertinent religious or belief quotes to commitment V (individual exercise for five minutes, followed by a reading by each participant of his or her added reference and subsequent discussion). The facilitator could also ask participants to reflect on the backgrounds of religious texts that do not put men and women on an equal footing.

Exploring: How can discrimination against women be redressed through religion? Can a preacher change attitudes in societies? How? What should be the reaction of a religious leader when facing a situation of a gender discrimination? What if this happens at home? Should they intervene or respect privacy, or find a middle ground? (General discussion for 15 minutes). The discussion should focus on positive or negative examples of the roles that religious leaders and media play in perpetuating negative stereotypes of the role of women in the societies of participants. Could the additional faith-based quotes gathered through the previous exercise be used in religious preaching on thematic topics involving discrimination against women and girls?

Responding to pandemics: The novel coronavirus, and the respiratory disease it causes (COVID-19), are also having various negative impacts on women’s rights and gender equality. The facilitator could ask the participants what they consider to be the most challenging consequences of the COVID-19 crisis in their area of work. How do they particularly affect girls and women? What are the areas of action where faith leaders believe they have the greatest chance of making a difference in facing these challenges? What promising practices can they share in this respect? What elements of the #Faith4Rights toolkit could be of practical utility in their work? What support or preparation would be necessary for them to use this tool in an optimal manner?

In its Call for joint action in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020), the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women referred to its “peer-to-peer learning webinars, in collaboration with Religions for Peace and other partners to explore how various faith communities can scale up collaboration around the diverse challenges posed by COVID-19 with a human rights-based approach with respect to women and girls. These webinars will use the #Faith4Rights toolkit as a resource. The key areas of these online webinars include gender-based violence against women, individual behaviours related to COVID-19, home schooling, working from home, creative modes of local solidarity and responding to discrimination against women in various aspects of public policies. There will be specific focus on young women working in the fields of education, media, technology and women faith actors. To achieve this, the Committee will also rely on its jurisprudence, which recognizes that education for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls is the most sustainable way to ultimately achieve the objectives of non-discrimination and equality of women and men. The Committee supports the appeal of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for a global ceasefire as well as his special appeal to religious leaders of all faiths to focus on the common battle to defeat COVID-19. The Committee also appreciates the statement of 19 March 2020 by Religions for Peace on the Coronavirus Crisis, stressing the responsibility of faith actors to translate ethical values into concrete actions and offering substantive ideas for learning, teaching, preaching and designing community development projects. […] The Committee holds the strong opinion that these unprecedented times are also an opportunity for change guided by the principle of ‘Leave no one behind’ of the Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing that women and national machineries for the advancement of women are central to response and recovery strategies.

National human rights institutions, the UN System, the UN human rights treaty bodies and special procedures may join forces in order to show a way forward for both States and civil society actors. The CEDAW Knowledge Hub initiative, with its imminent webinars about women rights, will be the signature contribution of CEDAW to a new thinking and joint action. The Committee invites all relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, to join in this initiative and hopes that it will lay the foundations, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, for a positive and enabling post COVID-19 environment that actualizes the principal lessons of the virus: no one is safe unless all are safe.”

Watch the webinar on confronting COVID-19 from the prism of faith, gender and human rights (May 2020), the webinar on keeping the faith in times of hate (July 2020) and the webinar on how religious literacy and freedom of religion or belief literacy can inform partnerships, especially for promoting gender equality (May 2021). See also the exercises in modules 6 and 16 and the hypothetical cases (scenarios G and M).

Inspiring: Participants may share artistic expressions of which they are aware that capture aspects of the commitment under discussion, particularly with respect to the role of women in society and in faith communities. Are there restrictions on women and girls in artistically expressing themselves, for example by singing or dancing? Limitations on artistic freedoms based on religious arguments range from urging the faithful not to partake in various forms of artistic expression to outright bans on music, images and books.

In this context, Karima Bennoune, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, published in 2018 a report on the contribution of artistic and cultural initiatives to creating and developing right-respecting societies. Facilitators could also show the video documentary “Equality: It’s All in the Family” or prepare their own examples.

In addition, please find here the example of a cartoon and calligraphy as well as music. For instance, the gender equality commitment on “Faith for Rights” was interpreted by a female rabbi from Canada, a Muslim soprano/composer from Morocco and a Christian pianist from Germany based on an Arabic poem by a Lebanese musician in an online performance that was distanced in space and time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the webinar by Freemuse and OHCHR on human rights, art and protest (February 2021), during which Rabbi Rachel Rosenbluth stressed that the purpose of religion and creation was “for us to be co-creators and transforming and healing the world.”

Learning objectives

• Participants realize that the rights of women and girls are a priority area for achieving inclusive societies and sustainable development.
• Participants are familiarized with examples of the overlapping between cultures and religions. They realize that cultural particularities can either positively or negatively influence religious interpretations.
• Participants reflect on the gendered impact of the coronavirus pandemic and explore how they can collaborate with other faith actors to address the diverse challenges, especially for women and girls.
• Participants recognize that women and girls make up more than half of the society that is the most influential in shaping the future. Participants accept their responsibilities in this respect.

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