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The WCC is working toward the revival of “Thursdays in Black”, a campaign against sexual and gender-based violence. The emphasis is pertinent to the theme of the WCC’s upcoming assembly: “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”.

Hopes for strong expressions of women’s concerns for life, justice and peace at the WCC's upcoming assembly were expressed at the 90th anniversary of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) - Woman’s Guild, held recently in Kenya.

At the Human Rights Defenders Forum, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the abuse of women the “most pervasive and unaddressed human rights violation in the whole world.” This abuse, he stressed, is contrary to the basic premise of every religion, including Christianity.

Botshelo Moilwa, a young African woman from Gaborone, Botswana, called on churches to affirm the dignity of women amidst the realities of HIV and AIDS and sexual violence, if they are to realize the Christian vision of justice and peace.

Working in alliance with churches is strategically important, said a UN representative at the recent assembly of the Latin American Council of Churches.

At the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the WCC supported women’s initiatives against violence on the basis of a Christian conviction that “women as well as men are created in the image of God and deserve to be respected, protected, and cared for.”

At a time of widespread scandals over clergy sex abuse, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) have called for professional standards of clergy accountability at an international forum on violence against women.

Reflecting on the theme of the World Council of Churches' (WCC) upcoming assembly in Busan, "€œGod of life, lead us to justice and peace"€, an ecumenical conference in Johannesburg addressed violence against women and children with disabilities.

"Women with disabilities are often excluded from the society, and are no longer seen as recipients of the gift of God,"€ said the Rev. Micheline K. Kamba at a recent World Council of Churches (WCC) conference. It is important, she said, to pray for action amidst the alarming situation of violence against women with disabilities.

Christian theology regarding all people as created in God's image can help overcome the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This and other views on the impact of HIV in Africa, its gender dynamics and the role of people living with HIV, were shared by Prof. Musa W. Dube, a former consultant of the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA) in a recent interview.

A flash mob erupted today in the cafeteria of the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. At 12:30 pm people scattered throughout the lunch crowd suddenly left their tables and broke into dance.

A staff member of the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA) has been elected as general secretary of the Council of Christian Churches in Angola (CICA). She will be the first woman to serve as general secretary of the CICA, a position she considers an “opportunity to mobilize African churches to do more” in healing HIV affected communities.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a “dehumanizing practice”, said the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). He said that churches need to work together with other religious partners and governments to eliminate this practice.

By Dr Susan Parry (*)

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is inviting individuals and congregations to join “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence” through reflections, prayers and action towards overcoming violence against women.

To promote awareness and action against female genital mutilation (FGM), an evening featuring music, reflections, an art exhibition and wine tasting will be held on 3 December at 18:00 at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, Switzerland.

Concerns about Asian countries doing less to protect the rights of migrant workers and the reality that most countries have not ratified United Nations and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on the rights of migrant workers were high on the agenda of a recent ecumenical workshop on migrant workers held in Bangkok, Thailand.

In offering “’gendered voices’ as a critical contribution to reflection on justice and peace,” Ecumenical Review guest editors Fulata Lusungu Moyo and Sarojini Nadar note the ways in which gender has become a crucial element in ethical and theological analysis because it “recognizes the unequal power relationships which exist between women and men in the context of different racial, class or caste experiences.”

By Marcelo Schneider (*)

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee has adopted a statement expressing concern on abductions, forced marriages and forced conversions of young women from Christian and Hindu communities in Pakistan.