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| Members of the ELCA-Lutheran World Federation delegation at the 59th UN Commission on the Status of Women, 2015, NYC. |
What does our church say about women and justice, to generate discussion and encourage action? And how can we take part? Here are links and related resources:
1. Know that an ELCA Social Message on Gender Based Violence was adopted by the ELCA Church Council on November 14, 2015. ELCA Social Messages are “topical documents” that “focus attention and action on timely, pressing matters of social concern to the church and society.”
2. You are being invited to join in on developing an ELCA Social Statement on Women and Justice that will be presented to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2019. ELCA Social Statements are teaching and policy documents that help us discuss social issues in the context of our faith and life.
The ELCA Task Force on Women and Justice: One in Christ, a 19-member group from diverse walks of life, has the responsibility for leading the study process, with an anticipated timeline. Materials will be sent to every ELCA congregation and downloadable online, to invite responses from June 2016 to June 2017. Have an idea or concern? You can send a message to the task force at any time: womenandjustice@elca.org.
3. For biblical undergirding, you can use this three-session study resource on the Bible and Women.
4. For an overview on women and justice issues worldwide, and our church’s involvement, here is an excellent summary about the March 2015 United Nations meeting”Beijing+20.” You can also listen to a radio show about it. The UN Commission on the Status of Women is meeting again in March 2016, with ELCA and Lutheran World Federation participation.
— Lily R. Wu for the LPF Women’s Initiative