Women & Gender Justice
Women & Gender Justice Ministry serves to provide education, advocacy, partnership building and care for women in hopes of transformative justice. We affirm and recognize the rich diversity and expansiveness of women around the world, including trans and gender non-conforming siblings. Our shared work is committed to loving our neighbors as ourselves and ensuring all women have equal access to full human rights. Our ministry is an offering of Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries.
Connect with Dr. Sherry Warren, Minister for Women’s and Gender Justice, at warrens@ucc.org.
Break the Silence Sunday | April 28th, 2024
Sexual violence impacts the mind, body and spirit of survivors. It is critical the Church continues to uplift the reality of what survivors of sexual violence experience and respond proactively with resources for survivors and their impacted families.
Rachael Ward, They/Them, Team Lead & Minister for Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries
Break the Silence Sunday supports survivors of rape and sexual violence with care, education, and commitment to discuss openly the impacts of sexual violence.
Break the Silence Sunday Resources
- Break the Silence Sunday Prayer – “To The Survivors Among Us” by Rev. Moria Finley
- Break the Silence Sunday Website
- Break The Silence Sunday Resource Page
- “Congregations Join in supporting survivors of sexual assault” UCC News
Our Bodies; Our Rights
The United Church of Christ has supported reproductive justice issues since the 1960’s. Reproductive justice promotes the rights of people to bear children and advocates for the ability to raise children in safe and healthy environments. The injustices women face regarding bodily autonomy impact all of us, affecting our children, and moving us further away from our desire to experience a just world.
Encounters at the Well
Encounters at the Well is a monthly column highlighting our domestic and global work for Women & Gender Justice, which includes a rotating columnist and our monthly discussion questions for Thursdays in Black!
Menstrual Justice
Period Poverty is a health issue that women face daily. From the high cost of menstruation products to facing a lack of direct access to obtain products, whether from disaster or lack of transportation. Women and Gender Justice participates in supporting the Church of World Service initiative Period Packs. Our ministry uplifts and supports congregations seeking to start Period Pack initiatives through a resource toolkit, education, and teach-in advocacy.
We also offer a yearly church-wide invitation to host a Period Pack event for Menstrual Health Day, which occurs this year May 26, 2024. On Period Pack Sunday, we partner with Global Ministries to offer congregations the ability to widen their Period Pack offering to women around the world.
Thursdays in Black
Women around the world face dangerous levels of sexual and gender-based violence every day. Often this violence is hidden due to fear of further violence. This is why the United Church of Christ is committed to spending every Thursday in Black to honor those who have lost their lives to sexual and gender-based violence, advocating for victims and working to see an end to such violence in the world.
We invite your community using our monthly Thursdays in Black discussion questions to spend every Thursday in prayer, discerning advocacy, and deepening awareness of the interlocking issues women face.
Break the Silence Sunday
Break the Silence Sunday opens dialogue within congregational settings about rape and sexual assault. BTSS, created by Rev. Moira Finley, is an offering that occurs on the fourth Sunday of April each year. Prayers, litanies, reflection, scripture ideas, sermon starters, music suggestions, and more are offered through BTSS so that the voices of survivors are heard, honored, acknowledged and, in hopes, communities will commit themselves to the support of social change. This year Break the Silence Sunday will be April 28, 2024.
Education Series: Engendering Spirit
Engendering Spirit is our education series initiative offering a deeper dive into the issues that affect women daily. Each episode offering comes with a study guide and additional useful resources to accompany the video lesson.
Women & Gender Issues Resources
Below are resource offerings and initiatives currently underway for Women & Gender Justice issues.
UCC matching grants to assemble CWS Period Packs (for more information, contact: Craig
Hoffman, Program Assistant, UCC Global H.O.P.E.)
Questions?
For questions, please contact Dr. Sherry Warren, Minister for Women’s and Gender Justice, at warrens@ucc.org.