Working effectively with faith leaders to challenge harmful traditional practices
Date: Thursday, Feb 8 at 9am ET (2pm GMT) via zoom
Traditional cultural practices reflect values and beliefs held by members of a community for periods often spanning generations. Every social grouping in the world has specific traditional cultural practices and beliefs, some of which are beneficial to all members, while others are harmful to a specific group, such as women.
In 2017, the JLI Gender-based Violence Hub (GBV Hub) led a Department for International Development supported project ‘Working effectively with faith leaders to challenge harmful traditional practices (HTPs)’.
Study Speakers
- Dr Elisabet le Roux is the Research Director at the Unit for Religion and Development Research at Stellenbosch University
- Dr Brenda Bartelink is an anthropologist and scholar in the Academic Study of Religion at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands
Discussion led by JLI GBV Hub co-chair Liz Dartnall (Sexual Violence Research Institute) with Hub coordinator Natalia Lester-Bush (Tearfund)
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Brief Summary
- Welcome, Liz Dartnall
- Introduction to the GBV Hub, Natalia Lester-Bush
- Introduction to the Speakers, Liz Dartnall
Presentation from Lisa le Roux and Brenda Bartelink
- Review of methodology including case studies (ABAAD, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Tearfund, World Vision, and survey
- Literature Review– prevalent harmful traditional practices
- Identified four most common: FGM/C, Childe and Early Marriage (CEM), son preference, honour-related violence (HRV) and discussed in the context of faith
Key findings
- Discussed the use of the term harmful traditional practices creating resistance in communities
- Role of faith, faith communities and faith leaders in HTPs
- Effective approaches when working with faith leaders
Study Briefs
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What is the harm in ‘harmful traditional traditional practices?
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Sleeping Giants: Mobilising Faith Leaders as Agents of Change
Discussion:
- What is the desired impact of engaging with faith leaders around these texts, and perhaps changing the way that they interpret them? ie. for them to begin talking about them within communities, or individually with people, or mentioning in talks etc?
- Are the small group based interventions mixed gender, or specifically targeting men/women separately? And secondly, is there any long term studies in this area?
- Chab Dai Cambodia Butterfly Project
- How would you go about opening up these sorts of questions when they are so sensitive… what if the members of a small discussion group just do not bring them up? Did Tearfund/ Islamic Relief have any experiences where that would occur and how did they respond?
- From Tearfund
- 10 -year study on domestic violence & role of US churches
- Christian Aid also has a good safe space model in Nigeria called GEADOR groups
- On how to prioritize HTPs in local communities- best to let the local communities prioritize their own issues. It’s their decision whether to work on HTPs. Also acknowledging that faith aspects are a part of local communities and not the sole factor to consider.
- Many other organizations to be in touch with ex on FGM/C www.28toomany.org
- Feel free to share more programs and resources on the JLI website
Please feel free to continue the discussion in the comment section and join as a member.
The GBV Hub will also be presenting results at CSW in NY on March 19, more details to follow shortly.