Items of Interest May 2, 2011 Issue

Anglican church addresses sexual violence against women in Africa

Riazat Butt

Churches can “no longer remain silent on the issue of sexual violence,” according to a Christian NGO . . . .

Tearfund, a UK-based Christian relief and development agency, commissioned research on the current and potential role of the church to tackle sexual violence in Rwanda, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It said the results were a “shocking indictment of the widespread lack of a church-based response.”

In “Silent No More,” a report launched at a conference on [March 21] at Lambeth Palace in London with the support of the archbishops of Canterbury, Burundi, and DRC, Tearfund said: “The research showed there have been various responses from the church. In many cases the church has remained silent; where the church has spoken out, it has often led to increased stigma towards survivors.

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