The Faith Effect

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Mobilizing and Equipping Faith Leaders

CIFA seeks to improve health, well-being and advancement opportunities for girls and women by empowering faith communities to positively impact women and girls. Across geographic and ethnic divides, interfaith partnerships can establish common goals and empower local leaders to positively impact girls and women through individual and community behavior change.

With continuing support from the Nike Foundation, CIFA has designed and managed two phases of research and program work on faith leaders and their influence on girls and women’s issues. In the first phase (2010-11), CIFA identified, interviewed and documented the approaches of faith leader champions of girls and women’s advancement in Ethiopia, Liberia and Nigeria. In the second phase (2011-12), CIFA is working in Nigeria and Ethiopia to develop tools and models to stimulate positive action among faith leaders on two issues: ending child marriage and stopping female genital cutting.

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Why We're Mobilizing

Women are... 

• 70 percent of the one billion people living on less than a dollar a day;
• Two-thirds of the world's illiterate people;
• More than 60 percent ofchronically hungry people in the world;
• More than 80 percentof the world's estimated 40 million refugees;
• Owners of one percent of the world's farmland, but produce half the world's food;
• Dying at a rate of 500,000 each year from preventable complications of pregnancy.

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The Faith Effect: Women and Girls Resources

• The Girl Effect
• Religion and Women by Nicholas D. Kristof
• Changing Girls Lives: 10 Actions for Faith Leaders and Communities in the U.S.
• Girl2Woman: Her Right, Her Health, Our Future
• WFDA Commitments Report 2010
• Religions for Peace
• Women Thrive Worldwide
• UNFPA Forum of Faith-Based Organizations on Population and Development – Summary Report 2008
• The One Campaign: Maternal & Child Health
• Canadian Council of Muslim Women
• Women Living Under Muslim Law (WLUM)
• Bahá'í International Community; statement on violence against women