“A young, rural girl will most likely be caring for her siblings by the time she is four or five,” said Lopa Banerjee of UN Women. “She will be helping to get firewood and water.  She will end up in an early marriage, have children while she is young, with complications to the births.  She will have no choice over the number of children she has.  She will likely experience violence.  She will not have the option to find decent work.”

“These problems are magnified if she is a refugee, disabled, Indigenous, a widow, or of a different sexual or gender orientation.”

This presentation kicked off a lively event attended by over 300 people which examined the slogan of the Sustainable Development Goals to “Leave No One Behind” through a gender lens.  ACT Alliance was one of the hosts of the event, which was led by UN Women.  Leaving No One Behind for Planet 50/50 by 2030: every rural woman and girl everywhere shared the voices of women and girls, as well as LGBTQI people as they discussed their experience of being left behind due to disability, age, location, marital status, gender expression, or more.

Gladys Nairuba, from ACT member DanChurchAid’s Uganda office, spoke during the event about the role of faith-based organisations in gender justice.  “ACT Alliance across the world is working for the rights of women…  It is injustice that is keeping women behind.  Faith actors can’t be quiet.  As ACT Alliance, all the members are boldly speaking out against injustice.”

“Faith leaders are saying we should not put out our voice because it is convenient,” she continued. “We should speak irrespective of who is affected. We do not have a choice.  We have to speak out.  Injustice in any place is injustice everywhere.”

In many countries around the world, religions have significant power.  In Uganda, 95% of the population is affiliated with religion.  Faith groups have a powerful role as conveners in their context, bringing people together to talk about issues related to gender.  “We are talking about change.  We are talking about valuing women.  That is where it starts from.  People are in churches and mosques.  If we put messages out where people are, then we will not miss the mark,” Nairuba concluded.

After hearing from a wide variety of voices from around the world, participants discussed what policy standards could be created to ensure that the SDG achievement “Leave no one behind” can be realized for women and girls around the world, especially those living in rural contexts.  Ideas ranged from the collection of disaggregated data to ensuring the participation of rural women in government and other structures to the importance of male involvement, accountability and responsibility in gender justice.  These ideas will be shared by UN Women for more input after CSW.

Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women said, “The impact of gender discrimination starts from when someone is conceived and they are a girl…  You are asking for our policy to be gender aware and to address all of these intersecting life stages that women and girls go through.”  She spoke of gender-based violence, economic disadvantage facing women, early marriage, and more challenges facing women and girls, and the need to address these challenges.

Gladys Nairuba reflected after the event that “The Leave No One Behind event and active participation of faith actors is in a way reaffirming the critical role of faith in addressing gender targeted injustice. And the platform provided for faith actors to share what we do, own up and challenge ourselves to fast track the change. What I kept hearing is the social constructs and how they perpetuate gender violations. And some of these are built by culture and faith which are as diverse as the participants that were in the room.

“On the other side it’s knowing that the event was demonstrating that not even the faith actors should be left behind.”

Related to building trust and ACT governance, including strategic collaboration as part of the wider ecumenical movement and learning with other forums

Through the prayer vigil, the APF members have helped to build awareness about the issues plaguing Palestinian society in Gaza and the West Bank. By identifying key humanitarian issues and focusing on one of them each month as part of the prayer vigil organized by the APF, the APF has succeeded in reaching people who otherwise would have little knowledge of or interest in the impact of the Israeli occupation and the humanitarian activities of churches and church-related organizations.

The prayer vigil connects the faith-based character of the APF to its commitment to international law and its efforts to promote and protect human rights. The Israeli occupation has existed and its oppressive tactics have grown in severity over many decades. In response, the APF needs to find ways to keep Palestinian rights in the forefront of international opinion, even when the media turns to other crises and donors grow fatigued due in large part to the length and relentlessness of the Israeli occupation and the lack of a viable peace process.

The prayer vigil communicates the hope of the APF members as people of faith, while at the same time communicating the depth and urgency of the needs of the Palestinian people. It is also important for the APF’s external visibility, but also in relation to its credibility with the local churches and communities with which it is engaged. The prayer vigil has actively engaged each of the APF members and it has often prompted important debates within the APF about the needs and priorities of the APF.

ACT Forum Annual Report 2016

Related to humanitarian, development and advocacy work of ACT Alliance

The ACT Nepal Forum has been a testimony to the strength of the collective. Starting from the immediate aftermath of the devastating Nepal earthquake, the forum galvanized into a firm platform of coordination, commitment and collective sharing geared towards providing high quality relief, psychosocial support and care to the affected communities as well remain a constant proponent on accountability, inclusion and meaningful participation for the wider humanitarian community.

ACT Nepal has assisted almost 2 million individuals (400,000 Households) covering progressively actions on Food Aid, Shelter (Temporary, Transitional & Permanent), Water Sanitation and Hygiene (Hygiene kits, Toilets, Water Supply Schemes) Psychosocial support (Care, Counselling), Education (Schools reconstruction), Livelihoods (Seeds, Agri equipment’s & Trainings), Inclusive Protection (Feedback & Accountability) and Resilience. ACT Alliance is considered second to UN in terms of strength, resource leveraging, visibility, geographical coverage and communications.

A series of interesting achievements reaffirm the faith of coming together and working together:

1. Common ACT Base: a place to exchange ideas, have food and work
2. Sharing un-earmarked funds: a very transparent, well documented and inclusive process of allocating funds to neglected sectors
3. ‘One’ sitrep reporting: covering all response actions of ACT appeal as well as non-ACT appeal funded actions displaying a larger canvas of ACT operations in country,
4. ACT model village: a shining example of unifying activities and working as a collective
5. Continual engagement: every day morning Forum meetings (first 3 months) followed by monthly meetings helping maintain continuity in thoughts and actions.
6. Welcoming new members: CA, DKH, Amity Foundation added to with open arms
7. ACT Representation: members focused on respective clusters to enhance reach & implement responses simultaneously
8. Common Appeal: NPL 151, 161 &171
9. Terrai flood responses: common assessment and appeal action for response
10. Joint Monitoring Visits: successful conduct of the JMV and appeal evaluation1
11. Staff sharing: a common security focal for 9 ACT Agencies
12. High profile visits: ACT general secretary and Dutch minister
13. Digital Data Gathering: mobile based apps AKVO (ICCO), MAGPI (DCA), KoBo (CAID)
14. Preparedness: updated EPRP, Common Contingency Stocks – assessment formats (JRNA)
15. Accountability: CHS Audit, ACT certification & Nepali translation with trainings
16. Learning Event & local capacity building: 24 trainings for mutual learning sharing
17. Website: a unified information platform made for ACT Nepal
18. Inter Faith Dialogues: exploratory Works on Disaster Response planning
19. Policy Advocacy: speedy reconstruction clearances and NGO guidelines

The ACT Nepal Forum has been a safe and open space for sharing, learning and debating on key issues of country and member’s operations. The actions are continually characterized by a common visibility approach, common messaging on key response actions and collective agreements of focus areas and complementarity in reach amongst ACT members. These actions have worked very well with all of us able to focus on our core strengths and keep the ACT flag flying high and making others take note of the collective.

Documents:

Annex 1- Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan

Annex 2- Joint Monitoring Visit

Annex 3- General Secretary Visit

Annex 4 – Lessons Learn-ACT response to gorkha EQ

Annex 5- Media Coverage- ACT response

Annex 6 -ACT_FINAL EVALUATION NPL151

Annex 7-Final Narrative Report NPL 151

Annex 8- Capacity Building Program

Annex 9- Capacity building -training reports

Annex 10- Case Stories- ACT response

Annex 11 – Interim report iii NPL 161

Structure and leadership

The ACT Zimbabwe Forum has grown exponentially and now has 4 active local members excluding one on suspension and seven international members. The Forum encourages Guests in a bid to encourage them to become full members. To promote joint learning growth and programming, the ACT Zimbabwe Forum has 3 Communities of Practice which are thematically based drawing from Zimbabwe ‘s realities and the ACT Global policy.

All the Members of the Forum belong to one or more of these Communities of Practice, and implementation of joint activities is done through these thematic groups led by a chosen lead Member and Chair. To foster closer cooperation, the Lead is an international Forum Member while the Chair is a local Member. These CoPs are the vehicle for members joint programme implementation and participation, a way of getting new members through programmes and also to get the participation of non-ACT implementing organisations who enrich programmes.

The Forum has 4 International Members who do not have a presence in the country but are highly involved through the participation of their non-ACT implementing Partners through the Communities of Practice. These Members financially contribute to the Office of a full-time Coordinator who ensures that information is passed to them and they are part of the decision making for the Forum. The Forum also ensures that Forum meetings are held whenever these Members visit the country to ensure their direct participation whenever possible.

Strategic planning

The Zimbabwe Forum promotes equal participation between local and international members. The Chair of the Forum position is reserved for National Members to ensure and encourage participation and rooting in the country context. Communication in the Forum is open, and there is no hierarchy in making decisions. Decisions are made during the Forum meetings which are held once every two months with those outside the country making their input via email to the Coordinator.

The position of a full-time Coordinator has strengthened communication as the office acts as the liaison among members and ensures that information is passed to all Members and also to ensure that the Forum is kept abreast of what will be happening in the Regional and Global ACT Offices.

The Forum ensures that during joint programming under the communities of practice we invite the participation of other ecumenical organisations. The Our Vote Our Faith Campaign is an excellent example of how the Forum has incited all people of Faith to come and Partner with the Forum in calling for a peaceful election in Zimbabwe while encouraging Christians to exercise their right to vote. The WE have Faith Campaign also brought together various Churches and other Faiths in climate justice advocacy. The Forum has strengthened the ecumenical voice in Zimbabwe, and after the November political developments, the Church led efforts to organise civil society in advocacy.

The Forum is also involved in the Faith Leaders Environmental Advocacy Training which targets Faith leaders inside and outside the Forum to create environmental champions.

Related to humanitarian, development and advocacy work of ACT Alliance

Typhoon Haiyan, which was a Level 3 emergency which brought ACT members to respond in the country in November 2013. The ACT Secretariat, Lutheran World Federation, and other ACT members outside the country came in to assist during the relief and recovery phase. An ACT Coordination Center was established, a first in the ACT response, which facilitated the coordination of all the ACT implementing members, headed by the country Forum. The 3-month old Forum took the challenge of managing such a scale of the disaster, which brought many learnings that are shared through a joint publication entitled: ACTING TOGETHER, BUILDING STRONGER, Lessons from the ACT Alliance Response to Typhoon Haiyan, which was widely shared in print and online with the whole ACT Family. The learnings were highlighted in 4 areas: coordination, convergence, localization and quality & accountability. The coordination among the ACT Philippines Forum and other ACT members fostered the ACT Strategic Theme: Join Hands, Full Life and Dignity for All. The Forum has had internal and external evaluations in the course of the response, one of which is the Donor’s Joint Monitoring Visit, which the Forum and the ACT Coordination Center jointly organized. Reflections and learning workshops were also carried out, to ensure that the Forum members are continuously improving its service.

The Forum coordinates every humanitarian response within or outside an ACT Appeal. At least in information sharing, the Forum shares each other’s work to avoid duplication and promote coordination in the common areas it serves.

Aside from the humanitarian response, the ACT Forum carries the advocacy on PUTTING PEOPLE AT THE CENTER, LOCALIZATION, CSO PARTICIPATION & COORDINATED RESPONSES, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and CLIMATE CHANGE, which are part of the ACT strategic direction and commitment to WHS. In the recent undertakings with ACT, the ACT Forum participated in the signature campaign during the COP21 in Nov 2015. The advocacy on climate change is one of the focus on strategic directions of the Forum.

Related to building trust and ACT governance, including strategic collaboration as part of the wider ecumenical movement and learning with other forums

The Forum has been efficient and effective in collaborating on ACT Appeals: Typhoon Haiyan, Typhoon Haima, Typhoon Nina, and Marawi Conflict – collectively deciding how to utilize resources. There is also a reflection and learning sessions on past responses which were documented and shared to the whole Alliance.

There was a joint analysis on the current context to suitably set the Forum’s direction, in accordance with the ACT global strategic direction. The ecumenical Diakonia is being concretized by our effort to share the work and advocacy of ACT Alliance during the Annual Forum meeting to other WCC members and even other FBOs in the country. Various means are being used to share relevant information such as publishing resource materials, brochures and presentations, and maximizing different FBO activities.

Related to ACT Alliance recognition and visibility

The individual Forum members, Lutheran World Relief & Christian Aid, are regularly in contact with the UN OCHA in the country through the Philippines INGO Network (PINGON), and the meetings with national organizations where the National Council of Churches in the Philippines is one of the 8 organizations being consulted by the agency. (Advocacy)

Reaching out to the wider faith-based community is one of the best practices of the Forum: the Forum initiated holding the pre-and post-WHS fora, where the ACT Alliance’s and the ACT Philippine Forum members’ papers and commitments were shared, offering a space where faith-based humanitarian organizations gathered and reflect its role together, and talked about how the WHS commitments will be actualized locally. Followed by a dialogue with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Philippine government’s DRRM arm, where the recognition on the role played by FBOs during disasters are highlighted and better coordination with the FBOs were explored. These gatherings resulted in a clamor to organize the FBOs in the country to share resources, good practices, and collaborate in possible areas of service. During the strategic planning, the Forum, despite of not having steady funds to implement activities, decided to continue this goal because of its huge potential in improving the way we do humanitarian service.

With its localization agenda, the Forum decided to support the national FBOs, with NCCP as its representative. The formation of the Philippine Faith-Based Organization Forum (FBO PH) consisting of the 3 major Christian Councils (Catholics, Protestants & Evangelicals) and its constituencies in the country on November 2017, will not be made possible without the ACT Philippines Forum’s initiative. It is during those reflective sessions which borne the realization and need for FBOs to come and work together in the areas of humanitarian and development and advocate with the most vulnerable communities in the country.

Practise/ Policy (innovative, replicable): Shared humanitarian advocacy agenda on Localization

Results:

• Prioritization of local partners and regional ecumenical councils (composed of NCC member churches) in emergency response and humanitarian capacity building;
• Active coordination amongst members from monitoring, planning, implementation and evaluation during Joint ACT Appeal Emergency Response (Marawi Conflict, Super Typhoon Haiyan, Super Typhoon Haima);
• Mainstreams community-based and survivor-led initiatives in emergency response and preparedness;
• Engagement of ACT Forum Members in humanitarian advocacy (Balik-Lokal), capacity building of regional and local member churches/partners, local shared roster (Transforming Surge Capacity);
• Joint learning knowledge product on Haiyan Response (Visibility);
• Contributes to ACT WHS commitment

Related to building trust and ACT governance, including strategic collaboration as part of the wider ecumenical movement and learning with other forums

ACT South Sudan Forum (ASSF) is a shared platform comprising ACT voting members and Guests who are engaged with operations in the country. The Forum was established in January 2010 as part of Global ACT Alliance meant to effectively encourage members to work together to explore opportunities for collaboration in humanitarian, development and advocacy work.

Our forum is one of the biggest, vibrant, cohesive and dynamic forums in the East African region actively engaged in humanitarian response, development, advocacy, capacity development, ecumenical relations, partnership with national organizations, visibility and communication

Our forum is “ACT”, we believe in “Full Life and Dignity for All” and we serve through the three pillars- (Humanitarian, Development & Advocacy) to address systemic poverty, support survivors of disasters, wars and conflicts, train rural communities in sustainable agricultural techniques, helps people adapt to environmental sustainability, and influencing government and other key decision makers to safeguard citizens’ human rights.

Related to humanitarian, development and advocacy work of ACT Alliance

Objectives:

• Increase the effectiveness and impact on the three pillars of ACT Alliance work in the areas of humanitarian response, development and advocacy for individuals and communities, through improved coordination and collaboration of ACT members at all levels.
• Build trust through the establishment of a strong platform that encourages increased dialogue and collaboration among ACT members towards a common vision and through strengthening linkages with other established networks, including ecumenical partners.
• Enhance ACT Alliance recognition as a global faith-based actor within the country through promoting the value and visibility of humanitarian, development and advocacy work being undertaken by ACT Forum members.

Functions

1. Humanitarian Response: Our ACT forum members do support communities and people affected by crisis in South Sudan through organized and coordinated joint ACT Appeals.
2. Development: Our ACT forum members are engaged in joint contextual analysis and sharing programmatic priorities. The forum members collaboratively identify and implement joint development activities.
3. Capacity Development: Our ACT forum members are constantly striving to develop the capacity of forum members through local initiatives and practices, shared learning and resources, and through working methods that enhance the full participation of our members, including fostering relations with ACT Regional Secretariat.
4. Ecumenical Relations: Our ACT forum members are engaged with other members of the ecumenical family present (Caritas, South Sudan Council of Churches, Local Churches, Faith-Based Organizations) who are active in their area of operation, to initiate discussions and exchange knowledge and experience.
5. Advocacy: Our ACT forum identifies advocacy priorities and opportunities and take part in supporting advocacy initiatives at national, sub-regional, regional and global levels, with ACT members as well as with other stakeholders. (e.g. the South Sudan Council of Churches-Action Plan for Peace Initiative)

More information HERE

Structure and leadership

The ACT Philippines Forum is a platform for ACT Alliance member organisations that support development, advocacy and humanitarian activities in the Philippines.  The Forum was formally established on July 31, 2013 (although regular coordination meetings had been taking place amongst members since 2009).  It brings together organisations that are committed to the mission, vision, and values of the ACT Alliance in humanitarian, development and advocacy work, and are bound by a commitment to empower communities, and build their resilience to cope and overcome risks.

The Forum’s mandate is to strengthen coordination and cooperation among ACT Alliance members in the Philippines, so that members work as an alliance in emergency preparedness and response, development, and advocacy.   In working collaboratively, the ACT Philippines Forum seeks to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of our ecumenical humanitarian and development response, and to create a bigger voice for our advocacies hand in hand with partners and communities.

Emergency preparedness and response planning

Shortly after its establishment in 2013, the ACT Philippines Forum was tested by the massive destruction brought by Super Typhoon Haiyan.  With support from ACT member churches and agencies, and in collaboration with local partners, the ACT Philippines Forum undertook emergency responses in 16 provinces affected by the super typhoon.

Since then, the ACT Philippines Forum has collaborated in responding to the needs of communities affected by other disasters (Typhoons Lawin and Nock-ten, and the Marawi Conflict).

These are responses in faith to the command to “give them something to eat”, and a demonstration of how two fish and five loaves can be shared not only to feed thousands but to ensure the re-establishment of loving and caring communities.

The ACT Philippines Forum believes that our interventions should be built on local initiative, and the knowledge and resources of disaster-affected, poor and marginalised communities, and of organisations and churches closest to those communities, to enable and ensure the most appropriate and effective preparedness, emergency, rehabilitation, and recovery responses.

More than three years after the Haiyan response, the ACT Philippines Forum remains committed to sustaining, improving, and expanding our humanitarian work. The ACT Philippines Forum will continue to pursue a shared vision of building a platform for humanitarian action amongst faith-based organisations (FBOs):

•Strengthening the capacity of FBOs and their constituencies, up to the local level

•Enhancing the quality of humanitarian responses through stronger adherence to standards

•Engaging in advocacy for people-centred and locally-led humanitarian action

Resourcing and Sustainability

The ACT Philippines Forum is also committed to helping ensure the sustainability of local organisations through helping them build capacities and mechanisms for resource generation. Individual members of the ACT Philippines Forum will support and undertake capacity-building initiatives for resource generation and fund management of local organisations.

Practise/ Policy (innovative, replicable): ACT Coordination Center sustained beyond the emergency project period

Results:

• Coordination of activities; Purposive collaboration on projects (https://issuu.com/sylwynsheenguevarraalba/docs/act_ph_haiyan)
• Strategic Planning not just response-based or project-based joint action; but based on the reflection on Ecumenical Diakonia and the ACT Global Strategy
• Consensus decision-making practise (competition over funds avoided during joint appeals)
• Internal and external communications facilitated
• Readiness to pilot new ACT Humanitarian mechanism

Documents:

ACC PHL 131 End of Project Report

ACC PHL151 End of Project Report

Minutes_ACT Philippines Forum Strategy Planning

Related to humanitarian, development and advocacy work of ACT Alliance

ACT Malawi Forum was formed in 2002 to jointly respond to emergencies and other social ills prevailing in Malawi. The main objective of ACT Malawi Forum is to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and the impact of ecumenical humanitarian response and community development work in upholding the human dignity.

The Forum fulfils the objective through coordinated humanitarian response, development and advocacy work, as well as the implementation of the rights-based approach. The Forum is guided by the ACT Malawi Forum Strategic Plan and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) while ensuring that Core Humanitarian Standards are upholding.

In 2015, ACT Malawi Forum established a joint Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Working Group comprising of Evangelical Lutheran, Churches Action in Relief and Development(CARD), Dan Church Aid (DCA), and the ACT Forum Coordinator. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is the Lead Agency for this working group. The main objective is to monitor and respond to needs that may arise, using available human, technical, physical and financial resources.

Related to ACT Alliance recognition and visibility

ACT Malawi Forum through WASH Working Group upon a call of interest through United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UHNCR) established ACT Alliance Luwani Refugee Camp WASH Project in 2016, based on needs assessment criteria. In 2017, ACT Alliance was given full responsibility for all WASH response projects in the Camp. UNHCR entered into an agreement with ACT Malawi Forum, through NCA, beyond the year 2017.

Project Implementation: ACT Malawi Forum and UNHCR

The Lead Agency, NCA, is responsible for coordinating day-to-day management while implementation is done by Evangelical Lutheran Development Services (ELDS) and CARD. The project is inclusive working with men, women, and children. Special attention is given to women-headed households, child-headed households, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. The project has so far benefitted a total of 3488 People of Concern (PoC’s) which were included in the project design Phase

The PoC’s have benefitted through the following activities:

• Improved family latrines construction: 284 family latrines have been constructed to ensure safe excreta disposal, which ensures hygiene and privacy.
• Safe and potable water were provided to the PoC’s and learners at Luwani primary school through maintenance of 12 boreholes in the camp and drilling a new borehole.
• The construction of 10 refuse pits in the camp for solid waste management which helps in ensuring that their surroundings are tidy and habitable thereby helping in the prevention of various diseases through unhygienic practices.
• Various hygiene talks provided by ACT Hygiene promotion officers and health personnel (HSA) from Luwani health center through hygiene awareness campaigns.
• Distribution of chlorine for disinfecting surfaces, toothpaste, toothbrushes, buckets and handwashing soap to Luwani health center, luwani primary school and directly to the PoC’s.

All these activities help to ensure that the beneficiaries have access to essential, appropriate and sustainable WASH services in the camp.

ACT members have been motivated by being incorporated in all processes of project implementation.

Membership responsibilities

In the context of the Philippines, there are two types of membership in the Forum, FULL and ASSOCIATE, those ACT members based in the country and those who have regular programs through local partners but do not have an office in-country, respectively. This is clearly stipulated in the latest version of the Memorandum of Understanding of the Forum. The current Full members of the Forum are Christian Aid (Convenor), LWR, and NCCP, while the associate members are Community World Service-Asia, Church of Sweden, and ICCO Cooperation.

The ACT Philippines Forum members are reaching out to ACT members who operate through local partners in the Philippines. Also, the Forum ensures that it reaches out to the new members of the alliance and the WCC members in the country.

Read the Forum MoU here

Practise/ Policy (innovative, replicable): Negotiating membership terms with ACT members operating in the country
Results:

• Encouraged ACT members without country offices to coordinate and build/sustain the relationship without putting pressure to be active in forum events (i.e., Associate Members).
• Updating membership status every annual meeting

With a delegation of our members from around the world, ACT Alliance is present at the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) that is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 12 – 23 March 2018. The 2018 priority theme is, “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”.

The ACT Alliance delegation is prepared to engage with civil society organizations and UN member states to continue to make progress towards gender equality.

Our members are rooted in the communities that they serve. They see first-hand how women have been victims of many layers of marginalisation based on their race, age, religion, sexual orientation, health, socioeconomic status etc.

ACT and other faith based organizations have an important role to play in challenging the existing power structures and barriers that perpetuate gender inequality in its various forms. “Gender justice is about all of us. Faith actors need to be part of the solution,” says Emilie Weiderud, Co-chair of the ACT Alliance Gender Equality and Justice Community of Practise.

ACT Alliance is committed to respecting, protecting and empowering the dignity, uniqueness, intrinsic worth and the human rights of every person. In doing so, ACT Alliance continues to address the structural drivers of gender inequality in legal contexts, and in socio-cultural norms and practices.

Making progress towards gender equality will require the mobilization of all people, at all levels, and for this reason, ACT brings the unified, constructive and progressive voice of its wide-reaching Alliance to CSW to ensure that faith-based narratives and perspectives contribute to the process of achieving gender equality.

Over the two weeks of CSW, ACT Alliance intends to raise awareness on issues of gender inequality and injustice, ending harmful practises, enhancing access to education, combating climate change, tackling land-rights and land-grabbing issues, and improving access to health in rural and indigenous communities.

ACT Alliance will engage in constructive discussions exploring how FBOs can better cooperate with UN agencies and structures, UN member states and broader civil society on gender justice issues.

ACT Alliance will host a side event with the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations and UNFPA during CSW. The side event aims to strengthen the visibility of faith voices in support for gender equality at CSW62.

Event: Building bridges: developing effective partnerships between faith and secular actors to challenge discriminatory gender norms and secure rural women’s rights
Date:  Monday 19^th March 2018
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Venue: Ex-Press Bar, General Assembly Building, UNHQ