Document Library

Church Response to Domestic Abuse

Published to help mark the 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women, the IAFN newsletter on the theme of Church Responses to Domestic Abuse shows both the scope and international extent of such abuse within families and the growing efforts now being made by churches and faith organisations to combat it.

Instead of dismissing physical violence and coercive control as a "private matter" or part of a culture, work is being done on the causes of such violence.

Birth Registration: Church Responses

 Churches can help families to overcome obstacles to birth registration. The stories in this newsletter show how this can be done. Why should churches care about this? Because children who are not registered at birth may not have access to education, health care, and other benefits of citizenship.

In Uganda, Mozambique and Madagascar, successful partnerships between UNICEF and the Mothers' Union have resulted in thousands more children obtaining birth certificates. This not only opens many doors for them but provides a more accurate database of statistics which assists governments and civic authorities in their task of providing vital services.