To the CEC MEMBER CHURCHES and EUROPEAN BISHOPS' CONFERENCES Geneva/St Gallen, May 1999

Dear Friends in Christ,

On behalf of the Joint Committee of the CCEE and CEC, we greet you. We are writing to you with the full support of the Joint Committee to address with you the grave matter of violence against women in Europe. This has already been highlighted in a number of important statements from church leaders and Christian bodies in Europe, including His Holiness John Paul II in his Letter to Women prior to the Beijing Conference of 1995, and in his Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace on 1 January 1998. The Second European Ecumenical Assembly at Graz, in July 1997, made a commitment 'to co-operate in seeking to outlaw all forms of violence, especially against women and children', while the CEC 11th Assembly stated that 'violence against women should be recognised as a crucial issue'.

In writing to you on this subject we have in mind the words of St Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians:

"And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers all the other parts suffer with it. If one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness" (1 Cor 12.25-26)

In using this image of the body, St Paul asks us to see in the sufferings of some an injury to all. He opens for us a spiritual dimension in the task of caring for those who suffer violence, especially those who are particularly vulnerable. This gives us profound reasons for facing the issue of violence and opening up possibilities of healing and reconciliation.

Violence against women is a grim fact in the world of our times, and has a long history. It also however faces us in Europe with a particular challenge at the present time. It takes a variety of forms. Rape as a crime of war has been highlighted, for example, in the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. But violence against women is by no means confined to situations of war. Sexual and other forms of physical violence threaten women everywhere, and the most widespread instances take place within the home. A considerable amount of documentation confirms that this is indeed a phenomenon throughout Europe. The Churches too are deeply concerned that violence against women may even take place within their own communities and institutions and in Christian homes. This is something on which the churches themselves have been silent for too long.

Moreover a particularly shameful manifestation within Europe at the present time is the increasing trafficking of women, and even young girls, for purposes of enforced prostitution. Much of the trade is of women from eastern parts of Europe, or from outside Europe, to the west. There are those who exploit the economic hardship being experienced by women to force them into prostitution, and others who take advantage as customers.

There is much shown and available in the media in Europe today which depicts women in a degrading manner. This is often done in the context of violence, with sexual violence presented as entertainment. It is part of a wider phenomenon in which women are exploited.

In the light of these considerations, we first invite all Churches to engage as deeply as they can in the issues as they affect society as a whole. For Christians a commitment to justice and to human rights for both women and men is based on their belief that both women and men are created in the image of God. Both women and men are therefore to be accorded the dignity which God intends, and which is confirmed and raised to a new level in the life, teaching, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This conviction should encourage us to collaborate with groups already working in solidarity with victims of abuse and exploitation, and striving for a more just and violent-free society.

Second, the joint Committee is glad to note that the Council of Europe has called for special attention during 1999 on the fact of violence against women. We believe that each and every Church in Europe should also highlight this issue in a way appropriate to its own context. We therefore invite the leaders of each Church to declare publicly that any kind of violence against women is a sin for it is an offence against their human dignity. Violence against women's bodies and against their minds is to be condemned. This is important because many women who have experienced violence or who feel threatened by it, sense that there is a widespread public reluctance to admit that such violence is both real and serious. It should therefore be named.

Third we urge that all churches encourage more open discussion of the issues within their communities and name the attitudes and structures which nurture this violence. Churches, too, might consider their pastoral responsibilities to those who suffer violence, abuse or exploitation of any kind. The churches have a special responsibility in countering a culture which often assumes that violence against women in an inevitable fact of life. There is also a need to be open with those who perpetrate this violence, making it clear that this is totally unacceptable behaviour. These matters should be addressed in every aspect of the churches' life, including preaching, teaching and pastoral care.

We are gratefully aware that a number of churches, bishops' conferences and ecumenical bodies in Europe have already been addressing this issue. The Joint Committee would appreciate it very much if you could keep the Secretariats of CEC and CCEE informed on what actions you are taking, whether on your own initiative or in response to this letter. We would be grateful if this can be done by the end of 1999. After that time, it will be possible to present an overall report on the European churches' activities in this area.

cc: CEC and CCEE constituencies.