ACT Alliance

"Addressing Gender Based Violence calls for a multi-sectoral approach where advocacy is inclusive of government bodies, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, educational institutions, community organisations, and the private sector. All sectors of society must come together to prevent, protect, and respond to Gender Based Violence." - Purity Osumba Purity Osumba is the Programme Officer for Gender Justice at Christian Aid #Kenya with passion and  experience in advocating for women and youth. She oversees gender justice programming, and is passionate about bringing different sectors together to discuss pressing societal issues and challenge structures and systems that continue to deprive women and youth of their rights. #16Leader #16Days #Kenya #FaithInGenderJustice #TheRoad2Equality #EndGBV #ChristianAid #ACTAlliance #SDG5 #GenderJustice

"Discrimination and violence prevent women and girls from accessing disaster education, resources to meet their basic needs, and the support to build resilience... I call on each of us, in our roles and capacities, to raise our voices and take action to #EndGBV - a violation of human rights. Together, we must create safe and equal environments for women and girls, free from fear and violence. It is our responsibility to ensure that policies, beliefs, and cultural norms evolve to foster a just and equal world." - Brigita Ra 'Sekar' Laras Brigita Ra ‘Sekar’ Laras serves as a Project Manager at YAKKUM Emergency Unit, and a Governing Board Youth Representative at ACT Alliance. She oversees over 60 women’s groups in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, leading resilience-building initiatives and advocacy focused on climate change and disaster risk reduction. Sekar has played a key role in disaster emergency responses and has worked to empower women to take leadership roles in community resilience and advocate for gender justice and policy change at all levels. #WomenLead #YouthLead #16Days #16Leaders #EndGBV #TheRoad2Equality #FaithInGenderJustice #Indonesia #SDG5 #ClimateChange

"My call to action is that discriminatory family laws and practices must be reformed to ensure equality, justice and fairness for women and girls, with urgency. This must be a priority for all governments and actors who are promoting gender equality. There is no equality in society, without ensuring equality in the family." - Hyshyama Hamin Hyshyama Hamin is the Campaign Manager of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law. In many countries around the world, discrimination and inequality begins at the family level. Unequal family laws result in inequality for women and girls in all other areas of their lives, from education and economic opportunities, to health and wellbeing, to political and social participation. The GCEFL aims to make equality in family law, policy, and practice a global priority. #16Leaders #16Days #EndGBV #FamilyLaw #FreeOurFamilyLaws #TheRoad2Equality #GCEFL #ACTAlliance #GenderEquality #SDG5

To #EndGBV, we must unite as a community, leveraging our faith and influence to create safe spaces for dialogue, support, and education. Together, we can dismantle harmful norms and advocate for justice, ensuring every woman is empowered and protected." - Yordanos Asnake Yordanos Asnake is a gender activist and the Gender Division Head at the EOC-DICAC. In her pivotal role, she advocates for women's rights. She has been instrumental in developing theological reflections on #GenderJustice, leveraging the influence of faith communities to foster equitable practices. Her unwavering commitment to empowering women and promoting gender equality has established her as a trailblazer leader. #16Leaders #16Days #Ethiopia #Orthodox #EndGBV #TheRoad2Equality #FaithInGenderJustice #WomenLead #WomensRights #SDG5 #HarmfulNorms

"I call for action to end the suffering of women and girls, I wish for a safe shelter for them to dream and grow in, I wish for this world to be kinder to them, and to see them as the valuable human beings that they are." - Jana Nasr Jana Nasr is the ACT Alliance Forum Coordinator for Lebanon and Syria. Jana comes from a village in Lebanon, where she learned from her village the determination and strength required to climb mountains. For Jana, and in the work that she does, gender equality is a mountain we all need to climb, and she has found a passion in doing so through humanitarian work. #HumanitarianAction #Palestine #Lebanon #Syria #GenderJustice #EndGBV #SafeShelters #Peace #WPS #SDG5 #SDG17 #FaithInGenderJustice #TheRoad2Equality #16Leaders #16days

The outcome of #COP29 and the failure to secure even the minimum asks of the poorest and most vulnerable countries is profoundly disappointing. The lack of ambition and inadequate support for those most affected by the climate crisis undermine trust in the process and stall the urgent action needed to address the escalating global emergency. At a time of increasing pushback on human rights, we seek to redouble our efforts, and push forward, on #TheRoad2Equality. Read #COP29 delegates calls for justice in the #ACTAlliance #PressRelease: https://lnkd.in/eTxN3xBQ #ACTAlliance #LWF #WCC #GenderJustice #COP29 #SDG5 #ClimateJustice #FaithInGenderJustice

"As a community of faith actors, let us proclaim justice, protect the vulnerable, restore dignity, and respect all humanity." - Zanele Maphosa-Makombe Zanele is a dedicated social justice leader who believes in the power of words and voice that calls out injustices. She serves as Programme & #SRHR Advisor at ACT Ubumbano, Co-Chair of the ACT Alliance Africa #GenderJustice Community of Practice, and Steering Committee Member of CAPSI's Women in African Philanthropy Project. #16days #16leaders #ACTAlliance #Solidarity #ACTUbumbano #SouthernAfrica #PropheticVoice #FaithInGenderJustice #TheRoad2Equality #SDG5

To mark #16DaysofActivism, we are spotlighting #16Leaders from around the world, who are mobilising their communities to #EndGBV. Our first trailblazer leader is our inspiring ACT Alliance Global Gender Justice Programme Manager, Rev. Dr. Elaine Neuenfeldt. "As a feminist theologian I understand that the sacred scriptures have a crucial role in the way they guide people of faith in their journey to uphold rights, especially the rights of marginalised and discriminated groups." Elaine's #16Days call to action: "There is a need of an ongoing re-interpretation and contextualization of the Biblical texts, and the tradition to bring the Bible and the bodies of women and marginalised groups in dialogue. This rereading takes women’s experiences as a starting point, as a place where the sacred is manifest and produced." #EndGBV #16Days #16Leaders #FaithInGenderJustice #TheRoad2Equality #WomenLead #NoExcuses #GBV #FaithChangemakers #Brazil

Next week, we will mark the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the start of the #16Days of Activism campaign. During #16Days, we are celebrating the leaders within our networks, who are working to #EndGBV. Stay tuned to our LinkedIn page, as we will be spotlighting a different leader each day, and their powerful calls for action, for example to: 👉 Dismantle systems of violence,  👉 Transform social norms,  👉 Educate ourselves and one another,  👉 Contextualise sacred texts,  👉 Become aware of how we hold power. #TheRoad2Equality #FaithInGenderJustice #16Days #InspiringLeaders #GBV #SDG5 #NoExcuse #EndGBV #ACTAlliance with Act Svenska kyrkan, Norwegian Church Aid / Kirkens Nødhjelp, Christian Aid, ACT Ubumbano, Folkekirkens Nødhjælp (DanChurchAid), GIN SSOGIE, Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law, Community World Service Asia and many more.

It's Gender Day at #COP29 and ACT Alliance and its members did a media stunt calling for system changes, not token representation, to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, which leads to better outcomes for all. We need #genderjustice for #climatejustice!