More gender justice worldwide. Mission 21 also wants to come closer to this goal thanks to a new expert committee. The "Advisory Board Gender Justice" has started its work and discussed Mission 21's work in depth at its online meeting on August 29. The new advisory board is international and also counts on the expertise of proven experts.
In the daily work of Mission 21, gender justice is an important issue. For example, the issue is that women are often not adequately involved in decision-making in churches or village communities. Here, we at Mission 21 are working to strive for more equitable representation. Mission 21 has projects, for example, in the areas of education, food sovereignty, or sexual violence, all of which work in their own way in the various contexts to achieve gender justice.
"My desire is to change our society so that all people have equal rights and opportunities."
Claudia Hoffmann, President of the Advisory Board and Member of the Board of Mission 21
The new Advisory Board Gender Justice is intended to ensure that Mission 21 can continue this work competently at the strategic level. Among other things, through greater internationalization. The current eleven members of the board come from four continents and contribute in particular background knowledge about the state of the debate on the topic in their contexts.
"Gender equity means changing a society - toward equality, inclusion, diversity, and emancipation."
Matthias Luterbach, external gender expert
"Without gender justice, there is neither peace nor true security."
Annemarie Sancar, external gender expert
Worldwide - also in Europe - it can currently be observed that women's rights are being pushed back. This makes it all the more necessary for a ministry like Mission 21 to even take a closer look at these issues and work more intensively on promoting gender justice.
"Gender equality strengthens a country's ability to develop and reduces poverty."
Ira Imelda, Women's Coordinator Asia in the Mission 21 Synod.
Therefore, strengthening gender issues at Mission 21 is essential. The Advisory Board should bring expertise and experience to both the Mission 21 Board and the annual International Synod to keep awareness of the importance of gender issues alive.
"Above all, we need to reform legal systems so that violence against women can also be prosecuted."
Paska Nimiriano, Women's Coordinator Africa in the Synod of Mission 21.
In the synod (the "parliament" of Mission 21), the women coordinators play an important role. They bundle the knowledge about the work for gender justice from the different continents and bring it to the synod. In order to give their voices more weight, they are now also represented on the Advisory Board.
"My vision of gender justice is that not a single queer person is affected by violence anymore."
Monica Treviño Alvarez, External Gender Expert from Mexico.
In this way, the Advisory Board will help to ensure that Mission 21's vision of a life of dignity for all also becomes a reality through the promotion of gender justice. So that this truly applies to all people, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, their ethnic, religious or cultural affiliation.
Text: Christoph Rácz, Photo: Séverine Fischer
â–º The Advisory Board website with portraits of all members
