More Nigerian churches have advocates for gender equality following our latest Gender Champions training

Twenty-six people from 13 churches in Pankshin, Plateau State attended Grace & Light’s three day Sexual and Gender-based Violence training programme. Each church sent one woman and one man to be trained.

“Gender Champion training includes many different interactive activities to help participants understand, open up and share with each other,” said Tassie Ghata, international coordinator.

“The majority confessed they had been in gender boxes before the training. If issues were brought to them they looked the other way. Now if they see something untoward, they will say something and do something.”

Champions are now leading small groups of people in their churches, up to eight of the same sex, helping them to see gender equality from the perspective of scripture and to change their own behaviours so they are respectful of themselves and others.

They are using Grace & Light’s six-week Transforming Masculinities programme with their groups. The programme looks at gender and creation, Jesus as a role model for masculinity, root causes and consequences of sexual abuse, and sexual and gender-based violence in scripture.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for:

• Wisdom for Gender Champions as they support their group members in managing sexual and gender abuse issues
• Church leaders as they support their gender champions, ensuring the respect of congregation members not involved in the programme.