Meeting of the Brazil Chapter of Side by Side
O relatório completo em Português é aqui.
Rights and Justice to overcome Gender Inequality
14 June 2016: The Brazil Chapter of the Side by Side Movement is set to mobilise faith communities and faith institutions to play a much more distinctive role in securing gender justice. For this, theologians and representatives of faith-based organisations, the Council of Churches and Afro-Brazilian religions gathered together to share their experiences and discuss Side by Side next steps in the country.
They reflected upon two main questions. What does gender inequality look like in the Brazilian context? What responses have been offered so far and which others could be developed?
Looking at the Brazilian context, the participants raised as obstacles the increasing religious conservatism and fierce opposition by religious leaders on issues such as gender, race and sexual orientation in local government policies and practices. Even the historically more progressive churches are bending to a more conservative discourse. In a country in which inequality is shaped by class, gender and ethnicity/race, there is an urgent need to strengthen prophetic voices speaking out on gender justice.
The work plan focuses on Rights and Justice to challenge gender inequality, with two main issues in focus:
- Violence: violence against women and girls and the increasing violence in public spaces; violence as a result of religious intolerance; violence perpetrated by institutions that reach (or treat) women and men differently.
- Families and Sexualities: sexualities and LGBT population rights; religious speeches that condone domestic work as women´s obligation and the traditional family model.
Next steps:
Produce a short case study that summarizes the FBOs’ and faith communities’ previous experiences on promoting gender justice, with videos, short articles, etc.
- A piece of theological reflection on Gender Justice in the current Brazil context.
- Promote one event in October to discuss Rights and Justice, engaging local faith communities
