The unhealthy divide: how the secular-faith binary potentially limits GBV prevention and response

ABSTRACT

While progress has been made in creating conversations between the secular and faith actors involved in developmental issues, a distinct binary still exists. This could potentially be limiting a holistic response to gender-based violence, a global public health, development, humanitarian, and human rights issue. This article explores how perceptions of this binary – faith versus secular – are understood to impact GBV prevention and response efforts. Drawing on interviews conducted during a scoping study, the opinions and experiences of actors from faith-based organisations and academic institutions are used to shed light on how the faith-secular binary is being upheld and challenged, and how it is perceived to be impacting holistic GBV prevention and response.

Alors que des progrès ont été réalisés dans le dialogue entre les intervenants laïcs et confessionnels impliqués dans le développement, il existe encore une dichotomie entre ces derniers. Cette dichotomie pourrait potentiellement limiter toute approche holistique de la violence fondée sur le genre (VFG), une question de santé publique, de développement, humanitaire et de droits humains mondiaux. Cet article examine comment les perceptions sur cette dichotomie – foi vs. laïcité – sont comprises en tant que facteur ayant un impact sur la prévention de la VFG et sur les efforts de riposte à celle-ci. Recueillies lors d'entretiens conduits dans le cadre d'une étude exploratoire, les opinions et les expériences des intervenants d'organisations confessionnelles et d'institutions académiques sont utilisées pour apporter un éclairage sur la manière dont la dichotomie foi-laïcité est préservée et remise en question, et comment cette dichotomie est perçue en tant que facteur ayant un impact sur les approches holistiques de prévention de la VFG et de riposte à la VFG.

Si bien entre los actores laicos y religiosos se han producido avances para fomentar el diálogo en torno a cuestiones de desarrollo, continúa existiendo un binario perceptible. Esta situación podría estar restringiendo la posibilidad de brindar una respuesta holística a la violencia de género, un tema que concierne a la salud pública a nivel mundial, al desarrollo, el trabajo humanitario y los derechos humanos. El presente artículo analiza la manera en que las percepciones sobre dicho binario —lo religioso versus lo laico— inciden en la prevención y la respuesta a la vg. A partir de entrevistas realizadas en el marco de un estudio, se examinan las opiniones y las experiencias de actores adscritos a organizaciones confesionales y a instituciones académicas con el fin de aclarar cómo dicho binario se mantiene o se cuestiona y cómo se percibe que impacta en la prevención y la respuesta integral a los casos de vg.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender and diversity
• Social sector – Health

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the participation of the various faith and development experts who participated. We also wish to think the anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributors

Elisabet le Roux is Research Director at the Unit for Religion and Development Research at Stellenbosch University. She is a faith and development expert, with a particular focus on gender-based violence. She is also interested in faith communities in conflict-affected settings, patriarchy within faith communities, and interfaith peace and conflict.

Lizle Loots is a sociologist and holds a Master’s degree in Gender Studies. Currently a research consultant in the women, peace, and security sector, she previously served as public health researcher under the leadership of the South African Medical Research Council and The Sexual Violence Research Initiative.

Notes

1. In this article we use the terms “faith sector” and “secular sector”, while at the same time critiquing the existence of, and belief in, such a simple binary. We engage with these the terms as, in the world of GBV prevention and response, these are categories that are used and understood, and with which actors are labelled.

2. While the scoping study was commissioned and funded by the UK Government, it built on the work of the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI). The JLI is an international collaboration on evidence for faith groups’ activities and contribution to community health and well-being.

3. Ethical clearance for this study was applied for and received from the Stellenbosch University Research Ethics Committee, National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) registration number REC-050411-032.

4. Pseudonyms are used throughout the article when referencing interview participants.

Additional information

Funding

The study has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however, the views expressed in the study or in this article do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies; Department for International Development.