Why religion matters in violence against women and girls

This introductory chapter explains the book’s purpose and approach, which is to prioritise experiences and learnings from empirical research and of practitioners and their activities at grassroots level, to better understand the nature and impact of religion on violence against women and girls (VAWG). Uniting the perspectives of two different religious traditions (Christianity and Islam), it explores and analyses the roles religion plays in contributing to, but also in countering, the violence that women and girls experience daily. The volume strives to contribute to crossing the divide that still exists between the so-called secular and religious sectors within international development, by engaging with and exploring learning on religion and VAWG in a way that is relevant to academics, policymakers and practitioners and can facilitate conversation between these groups by highlighting areas of joint interest and potential synergies. Focusing on the violence that specifically women and girls experience, and using a hybrid and pragmatic definition of religion, the book operationalises Ter Haar’s conceptualisation of four religious resources (religious ideas, religious practices, religious organisation and religious experiences) as a conceptual framework. Across the various chapters an interpretivist approach is followed.