Joint reflections on religion contributing to violence against women and girls

Drawing upon the previous two empirical chapters, this chapter offers joint reflections on how religion becomes practically implicated in violence against women and girls (VAWG) and what this means for policy and practice. The complex intertwinement of religion, culture and patriarchy is highlighted with practical implications for VAWG prevention and response. Although male-dominated interpretations of sacred texts continue to dominate, the authors go beyond simply blaming patriarchy to challenge the status quo. While religious beliefs can hinder engagement with the sensitive topics and taboos related to VAWG, religious organisation and religious communities can also silence victims by embodying gender imbalances in their structures. The chapter also highlights the importance of accounting for religious experiences and of working with women survivors around shame and self-blame. Ambiguous and subjective interpretations of religious texts can shape the vulnerability of women and girls to abuse. Both religion and gender can be considered as socially constructed, embodied and enacted by social actors. Therefore, interventions aimed at responding to survivors’ needs should reflect on the religious influences in their lives.