LWF Women on the Move

08/03/2024

On International Women's Day, come with us to Burundi, where our team engages with mass media! Our Country Representative Martine Nibasumba featured on national radio already on Tuesday, 6 March, and discussed women’s rights and socio-economic empowerment of women with gender justice experts from the government and civil society.

"Government, development partners and civil society must work in synergy to continue defending women's rights, whether through legislation and its enforcement, awareness-raising to encourage a change in mentality, or the inclusion of the gender aspect in all interventions".

As Burundi’s economy is based on agriculture, and women are 70 percent of the farming population, they are seen as key players in the country’s development. LWF in Burundi works with women in rural communities through loans and savings groups, among others.

This week, LWF Burundi is also organizing events in the communes of Cankuzo, Gisagara, Cendajuru, Mishiha, Kigamba, Butezi, Kinyinya and Gisuru, with more than 1,000 people! There are competitions of songs, dances, sketches and a quiz around the national theme “Let's walk together with women in development by increasing production” . The winning groups receive among others, a radio!

08/03/2024

On the occasion of International Women's Day, journey with us to Jordan, where LWF works for women's economic empowerment in Irbid, Zarqa and in the Za'atari refugee camp.

In a public event, the women in local associations shared their success stories. One is Mrs. Nisreen Sobeih who went from a small food production project to a famous trainer in healthy eating.

LWF Country Representative Ameera Khamees also honored Mr. Adel Bani Issa, Mayor of Deir Abi Saeed in Irbid, for supporting women and humanitarian work in Koura-Irbid.

LWF Jordan

07/03/2024

On the eve of International Women's Day, journey with us to Haiti and meet Ms Cherismene Done, who is a “Madan Sara”.

A Madan Sara is a bird in Haiti who is good at finding food. It is also the nickname of women like Ms Done, who buy food and other essential goods in rural areas and sell them in the cities. These Haitian businesswomen bridge a gap in the infrastructure that has broken down because of social unrest. They are instrumental in keeping the economy going, and the primary caretakers of the families.

Cherismene Done has sold vegetables to families around Petion Ville for the past thirty years. During this crisis, she crosses barricades and roadblocks every day to obtain fresh organic products produced by farmers in the Kenscoff area.

The crisis in Haiti, marked by violence and gang warfare, has a devastating impact on millions of innocent women and girls. "Deprived of access to education and health care, faced with insecurity and violence, their daily life is a terrible battle for survival and dignity," says Naomie Beaujour, LWF Country Program Manager in Haiti. "Behind each statistic, there are faces, names, heartbreaking stories of women forced to abandon their dreams, flee their homes, fight to protect their children."

Their fight to rebuild and offer a better future to Haiti commands respect and admiration. LWF through the Joint Office in Haiti works with rural communities and women like Cherismene Done, for hope and a future!

16/02/2023

LWF is contributing to economic justice and women's empowerment.

25/11/2022

Let’s Say NO to violence against women and girls

LWF’s Gender Justice Focal Point, Caroline Tveoy, joined representatives of UN member states, agencies and NGOs on 25 November for an event marking the kick-off of the annual 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence.

Tveoy and the director of UN Women’s Liaison Office in Geneva, Adriana Quinones, were among those gathered in the square outside the UN’s Palais des Nations in Geneva to raise awareness of the silent pandemic of violence which continues to affect an estimated one in three women worldwide.

29/11/2021

This is Aldo: Gender champion in Palabek refugee camp in Uganda

Meet Aldo: Gender champion in Palabek refugee camp in Uganda

Aldo Langoya is a 48-year-old South Sudanese refugee from the conflict in his country. He now lives in Palabek refugee camp in Uganda where he was trained and mentored by LWF to help in the work towards ending violence against women and girls. In 2019 he was elected by community members as the focal point for gender-based violence (GBV) cases.

Aldo has a clear understanding of the importance of equal power relations between men and women in promoting peace in the family and the community. He leads awareness raising campaigns and acts as the focal point for reporting incidences of GBV, referring cases to LWF project assistants. He follows up on clients who have previously experienced violence to check how they are coping. His passion for equal power relations is also evident in his own life, where he participates in the household chores and seeks to resolve disagreements with his wife and children in an amicable way.

Aldo believes that with time the negative perceptions among men towards women will change. He sees how patriarchal cultural norms and unequal power relations between women and men are affecting the fight for a world free of violence and he stresses the importance of youth involvement in all gender justice work.


LWF World Service , LWF Women on the Move

Find our 16 Days resources pack on the LWF website: https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/16-days-2021-campaign-online-media-kit

14/09/2021

Dr. Sima Sami Bahous, former Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations in New York, appointed UN Women Executive Director.

Today, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced Sima Sami Bahous of Jordan as Executive Director of UN Women. She is a champion for women and girls, gender equality and youth empowerment. Join us in wishing her a warm welcome. http://unwo.men/RyM350G95cL

30/06/2021

The legacy of Malagasy Lutheran Church pioneer woman theologian Hélène Ralivao will live on through a new program dedicated to women’s theological education and leadership development in Africa. The LWF introduced the Hélène Ralivao Fund during an online meeting, 24 June, which was attended by...

19/06/2021

The LWF Council has elected Estonian theologian Rev. Anne Burghardt as the next General Secretary of the global communion of Lutheran churches. The 45-year-old Burghardt is currently serving as Head of Development for the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church’s (EELC) Institute of Theology and advi...

13/04/2021

LWF congratulates Bishop-elect Naledzani Sikhwari, who will be the first woman to lead a Lutheran diocese in Southern Africa

“Her election on 10 April is a testimony of how the Holy Spirit works and speaks about gender justice and participatory leadership among God’s children both in the church and society. LWF welcomes this historic election with great joy,” says LWF Regional Secretary for Africa Rev. Dr Elieshi Mungure.

Sikhwari, 55, is currently Dean of Mphome Circuit in the Northern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA), a position to which she was elected as the first female leader in 2006. Ordained in 1997, she served as a pastor in Carlsruhe and Kgapane parishes in the district. She will be consecrated in May as bishop of the Northern Diocese.

Bishop-elect Sikhwari studied theology at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Venda in the northern province of Limpopo, as well as in psychology from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

The LWF has four member churches in South Africa including ELCSA, which joined the communion in 1976.

Caption: ELCSA Northern Diocese Bishop-elect Rev. Naledzani Sikhwari Photo: ELCSA

03/04/2021

"We have been seen, known, and called by God through the crucified and risen Savior, and having received the Spirit in baptism, we can all now see," writes Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, LWF Vice-President for North America, in LWF's Easter message.

"My favorite story in scripture is the account in John’s gospel of Mary Magdalene going to the tomb. It was the first Easter, but Mary did not know that. She expected death. All the hopes and dreams, the excitement and promise of this new Jesus movement were dashed. The promise of the just, mercif...