The Symposium will focus on overcoming pervasive gender inequalities and discrimination as an essential contribution to reshaping the world as we recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and to achieving sustainable peace and development. It will explore how faith actors and institutions can work in tandem with governments, the United Nations, and broader civil society to accelerate the pace towards gender equality, equity and justice, presenting directions based on innovative approaches. The Symposium will not shy away from honest appraisal of both the contributions of faith actors to this agenda as well as pointing to where and how they are hindering progress, but will primarily serve as a space to recommit to achieving gender justice, grounded in both faith values and universal human rights, and as part of our commitment to begin a more critical understanding of race, post-colonialism and intersectionality within international development discourse and practice.
Among the sponsoring organizations, the following PaRD members are involved: ACT Alliance, Islamic Relief, Soka Gakkai International, United Religions Initiative, World Council of Churches and others.