WOC Joins Global Interfaith Feminists Call for End of Gender Discrimination on International Women’s Day 2016

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, faith leaders and feminists are speaking out for the  inclusion of women’s full participation in religious traditions.The Women’s Ordination Conference asked its allies in the feminists of faith community how women’s equality in faith would change the world. 

The following are highlights shared from notable women of faith and feminist organizations:

“If we are to believe that God is not meant just for men, but for both men and women, then we cannot believe that men alone hold the keys, through scholarship or tradition, to Him. The exclusion of women from religious leadership and tradition is an affront to God’s purpose, which is to be known by and through us all. The inclusion of women’s full participation in religious tradition changes the world because it restores and honors the intention of God, and brings balance to the manifestation of faith in society.” – Rabia Chaudry, lawyer, author, and Muslim leader

“Women cannot be on the sidelines of their religious communities if their traditions are to endure and thrive. Why should we be criticized or suspected for wanting to do more, to be more, within our faith? Our voices matter. Our place is here. Our time is now.” Talia Lakritz, Orthodox Jewish feminist and YouTube contributor

“We extend a hand to all of our sisters and brothers in faith and non-faith who believe, as we do, that all people are born with equal rights. On this International Women’s Day, we stand with you to celebrate the humanity, brilliance and power of women and girls, standing strong with men and boys who believe too in the power of human beings. We are Muslims who believe in equal rights for women and girls, and we stand in support of our brothers and sisters in the struggle for peace in this world.” – Asra Nomani, Journalist and CoFounder, Muslim Reform Movement

“Women of the Wall’s 27-year battle against discrimination of women at the Western Wall is an internationally known struggle for gender equality. Raising awareness all over the world, Women of the Wall has become a symbol of the growing movement in Israel and abroad fighting for religious pluralism and freedom. Our successful legal battle and negotiations with the State of Israel have inspired many other groups fighting for social justice in Israel. Women of the Wall’s fight for equality for women at the holiest site for Jews has created change on the ground in Jerusalem for women and girls but it has also been the spark to light other struggles around the world.

Women of the Wall continue to pursue the full inclusion of women in ritual life  at the Western Wall, despite violent opposition. The legal advances we have achieved and the future plans for a new, pluralist prayer section at the Western Wall change how generations of Jews and all other visitors and worshippers- millions of people in total- will be able to connect to the holy site. Beyond that, it changes how people of religions and belief see women: as equals, as leaders and as autonomous.” Women of the Wall 

“We could finally shake off the myth that restricting women’s advancement is ‘a mandate from God’! Full and equal participation will signal a disentanglement from the ancient bias that gives religion a bad name and the world will know that it was social prejudice, and not the tenets of religions themselves, that led to distorted traditions and the exclusion of women.”  Miriam Duignan, Women’s Ordination Worldwide & Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research 

“Full participation in religious traditions will restore the full dignity, honor, and humanity of women.  The current exclusion of women from certain religious activities is based on an implied if not spoken attitude that women are spiritually inferior to men, which is the cause of a forced humiliation on all women that extends into our secular lives.  This exclusion, based on spiritual devaluation, is at the root of domestic violence, rape, and the diminished value placed on the work of women along with a corresponding pay inequality.  Only when women are fully participating in religious traditions will the detrimental societal effects of millennia of religious oppression toward women be fully addressed and rectified.” Carol Schmidt, Ordain Women Now! (Missouri Lutheran Synod)

“Many ask why women women remain in patriarchal religious traditions. There are a number of reasons–belief, conviction, cultural identity, family ties, political and societal influences, to name just a few. Religion can provide a profound sense of meaning and belonging. However, to subjugate women and deny them access to decision-making authority in any community–religious or otherwise–not only opens up a space for more extreme forms of abuse, it also robs all of us of their untapped talents, gifts and abilities. Everyone is subject to the negative impact of religious beliefs and practices that marginalize women. Our hope is to ignite a conversation about maintaining what we value in our religious traditions while transforming them–and, by extension, society at large–into a more equitable global community.” Lorie Winder, Ordain Women (LDS)

This International Women’s Day, the Women’s Ordination Conference joins our sisters of faith in solidarity to underscore our conviction that religion can liberate, rather than subjugate women. Together through our witness and courage, we must ensure the security, safety and equal opportunity to women and girls, and we will continue to organize until all our communities are free from the sins of sexism. -Kate McElwee and Erin Saiz Hanna, Co-Executive Directors, Women’s Ordination Conference