Global Campaign to End Violence Against Women Gains Momentum

SILVER SPRING, Md. —The global enditnow™ campaign recently launched to advocate for the eradication of all forms of violence against women and girls is receiving widespread support in many parts of the world, motivating community leaders and church groups to become active advocates for non-violence in their own communities, reported campaign organizers.

On Tuesday, November 16, the Adventist Church in the trans-European region, which is based in the United Kingdom and includes more than 40 countries and territories in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, unveiled enditnow™ to representatives during regional end-year meetings held in Bečići, Montenegro.

“From January 15 to March 15, we are encouraging our leaders to concentrate on promoting this campaign, to get people active,” said Anne-May Wollan, Women’s ministries leader for the trans-European region. “We want every country to use this opportunity to tell people what we’re doing in support of this campaign.”

In Kenya, Adventist church leaders representing countries throughout eastern and central Africa, including Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, and Tanzania, also gave their full support, committing to championing this cause within their own constituencies.

“We are speaking up, signing up,” wrote a supporter in Kenya following the campaign launch in that region.

In the Philippines, representatives from the Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific region, which comprises more than 19 countries and territories, pledged during a November 9 ceremony to make every effort to push for the success of the campaign, according to Helen Gulfan, Women’s ministries leader for that region. During the campaign presentation, attendees made their commitment public by saying the campaign slogan—“Adventists Say No to Violence Against Women”—in Chinese, Malay, Tagalog, Bangla, Sinhala, Indonesian, Burmese, and Portuguese.

”This new campaign asks each of us to both speak and act, calling us to stand together to save lives,” said Charles Sandefur, president of ADRA International.

During the campaign’s primary phase, 1 million signatures are currently being gathered from supporters in more than 200 countries and territories. Once collected, these signatures will be presented to the United Nations to raise attention about the issue, advocate for new policies that better protect women and girls, and make a public declaration of the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to bring an end to gender-based violence.

“We are protecting the futures of our daughters, our granddaughters, nieces, mothers, sisters friends and neighbors,” said Jacqueline, a 38-year-old supporter from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. “Every woman has the right to security and love.”

Enditnow™ was launched on October 13 with the support of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Women’s Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to raise awareness and advocate for the end of violence against women and girls.

To join the 1 million supporters of the enditnow™ cause and sign the online petition or go to Twitter to receive campaign updates. 

View the campaign video.

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This article has been adapted from the ADRA website - www.adra.org.au

For more information, contact:
John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager
301.680.6357 (office)
301.680.6370 (fax)
John.Torres@adra.org

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ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information about ADRA, visit www.adra.org.

Author: Nadia McGill