HOUSE OF SARAH AND UN WOMEN FIJI MULTI-COUNTRY OFFICE (MCO)

Since 2009, Anglican ministry House of Sarah has been at the heart of responding to and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) through faith in Fiji and across the Pacific. This paper describes the journey of the organisation, documenting its experience and lessons as a resource for others to learn from, be inspired by, and apply in their own contexts. It’s particularly relevant to policy makers, practitioners and faith-based organisations working to prevent violence against women and girls in faith settings in Fiji, the Pacific, and beyond.

This paper was co-written by EQI with House of Sarah and UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office. It is the third in a series of knowledge products released by UN Women under the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership) programme, which is funded primarily by the European Union, and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and UN Women, with leadership from the Pacific Community, UN Women, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

‘We Are All Created Equal' is, at its heart, House of Sarah’s story. EQI facilitated the co-creation of the paper, with House of Sarah leading the story-telling process and UN Women providing technical assistance and input.

While it is vital to provide services that support survivors, meaningful progress in ending VAWG must address its root causes at every level of society –individual, interpersonal, community and societal. Religious faith plays an important role in people’s lives, relationships, and communities, and is an influential setting that has the power to address violence against women and girls. This paper is an important contribution to emerging global evidence on what works to prevent violence against women and girls in faith settings with promising interventions and practices.