Each day, more women and girls are subjected to sexual slavery and trafficked against their will. Women are vulnerable to rape and violence at the hands of strangers on a bus or even by their own partners. And girls like Malala Yousafzai are targeted and shot for promoting girls’ right to education.
It’s time to stop the madness.
This Valentine’s Day, the One Billion Rising campaign will launch events around the world to call for an end to violence against women and girls. To raise awareness about this important issue, thousands of international flash mobs, rallies, workshops, and other creative protests are scheduled for V-Day.
As Aimee Kang writes in the February 2013 issue of Sojourners magazine, in “Love in Action on Valentine’s Day”:
“The day also provides an opportunity for the church to reassess its own history, teaching, and stance on violence against women and girls. Though significant strides toward gender equality have been made, patriarchal interpretations of scripture explicitly condoning violence against women—for example, women in abusive marriages being counseled to “submit”—too often persist.”
The Church has a responsibility to stand up for all those created in the image of God — especially the Tamars (2 Samuel 13) of the world — who are violated and abused.
Mobilize your church or community to participate in a One Billion Rising event. And support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to strengthen protections for all victims of violence.
It’s the least we can do to show our love for the women and girls in our lives.
Elaina Ramsey is assistant editor of Sojourners magazine.
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