The United Nations has adopted the most ambitious global development agenda to date. The landmark document ‘Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ is unlike any that have preceded it. While it could be farther-reaching, it is nevertheless the product of the most extensive consultations ever spearheaded by the UN. Among its commitments is to “promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls,” with the aim of universal implementation of this goal by 2030. The Secretary General has unequivocally affirmed that all 17 Sustainable Development Goals that comprise the agenda are interlinked, indivisible, and mutually reinforcing.
When one considers the depth and scale of change required for the realization of this agenda—change that is not only material and technical but also moral and cultural—it becomes clear that the tremendous social, spiritual and intellectual resources of religious communities and faith-based organizations will be a key component of these efforts.
The pressing question before the people and nations of the world is one of implementation: how can the lofty vision and the ardent desire for the critical transformation in the arena of gender equality find expression in the daily lives of the peoples of the world? Normative frameworks, legal standards and the social sciences have unequivocally affirmed the equality of all human beings. Yet it is the beliefs and practices about the roles and capacities of women of all ages, girls, men, and boys and about the relationship among them that continue to be the most formidable obstacles to transformative and lasting change at local, national, and international levels. Such change will require, among other things, the systematic dismantling of social structures and practices that perpetuate inequality, and specifically, the marginalization and oppression of women and girls. It will need to be supported by the combined efforts of all actors – whether faith-based or not – willing to challenge patriarchal ideologies, to foster discussion about the intersection of religion and gender equality within and between these communities and about the transformative voices of women and men in the interpretation of religious beliefs. It will require the questioning of notions of power that privilege the role of men, and the reevaluation of conceptions of the ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine.’
Equally important will be efforts to replace the often confrontational dynamic between secular and faith based proponents of gender equality, recognizing that such tensions are often rooted in conceptions of culture and are driven by broader political agendas and geopolitical realities. Religious and secular actors will need to work together to create a narrative that encompasses the ideals inherent in respective worldviews—a narrative that focuses on our common humanity, on justice and the establishment of peace.
Today, people face the added challenge of new extremist movements which oppose equality, justice and freedom of thought. New kinds of emerging actors, movements and groups have exploited political fragilities and instrumentalized religion—arising for instance, from declining state authority, instability, conflict, and corruption, among others—to promote extremism, exclusion and misogyny. Such actors have made use of religious and social discourses to foment social divisions, thereby undermining the well-being of society, of the economy and, ultimately, the prospects for peace and security both domestically and globally. Extremist movements have exerted strong pressure to restrict women’s legal, property, sexual and reproductive rights and to limit their access to education and their participation in civic and political life. In addition, women and girls have experienced more physical insecurity, psychological and physical violence, and other forms of human rights violations. The effects of such widespread injustice are not limited to women; rather, they jeopardize the well-being of families and communities, and obstruct the progress of humanity as a whole.
Yet, there is a profoundly important and constructive role that religious communities, leaders and faith based organizations play in society. The role of religion as a shaper of culture and social life has been long established and now increasingly recognized in global politics and development discussions. Religious leaders and actors have been called upon to serve the common weal; to embrace a common humanity that transcends divisions of nations and race; to drive stewardship for the environment; to promote forgiveness and reconciliation in conflict and post conflict environments. Through their partnerships with various faith-based organizations, UN agencies have acknowledged the important contributions these organizations have made in areas of women’s and girls’ health and education, in helping to prevent and eliminate violence against women and in working to abandon harmful practices. Religious leaders and faith-based organizations have a pivotal role to play in addressing the profound injustices that prevent women and girls from developing their full potential and playing their rightful role in the advancement of society.
No one part of society will succeed in realizing the goal of gender equality in isolation. Faith-based organizations, actors, and feminists need to join together with secular organizations and social justice movements working towards the same ends—combining their experiences, insights, and resources—to work towards a goal that requires and promotes the participation of all.