August 19, 2021 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News
As the anti-abuse initiative EnditNow—Adventist Say No to Violence– is set to take place throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world on Aug. 28, 2021, congregations across the Inter-American Division [IAD] territory are getting ready to call on all their members and friends in the community to be advocates in the effort to end violence against men, women, and children.
The Adventist Church’s annual day of emphasis is intended to bring awareness to the issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and other forms of mistreatment.
“Violence is a serious problem today and aside from it being a violation of human rights, it affects many homes in the different countries in our [IAD] territory,” said Edith de Espinoza, women’s ministries and children’s and adolescent ministries director for the church in Inter-America. “As a church it is important to take a stand against violence for we know that there are many situations of violence in our churches and we want to help heal those wounds too.”
The statistics on violence across countries are alarming, she said. In just the first few months of the year, more than 15,000 complaints of violence between family members were reported in Colombia. In El Salvador, from January to May, there were 71,000 femicides and 441 calls related to violence within the family, de Espinoza said.
Panama saw over 12,000 cases of domestic violence in 2020, and so far this year the number has surpassed 11,000, she added. In Jamaica, one in four women experience intimate partner violence or sexual violence, and one in three experiences emotional abuse. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, the United Nations reported that one in three women in the Caribbean will experience domestic violence.
In Mexico, gender violence is pervasive across the nation, according to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Statistics show that more than half of all women have been victims of violence by men. Of the 46.5 million women over 15 years old, 66 percent have faced emotional physical, sexual, or economic violence in their lives and many more have been abused.
“Ecatepec, which is in Mexico City, is considered number one in femicides in the world,” said de Espinoza.
“The numbers are very alarming and as a church, as a women’s ministries department, we want to take go the extra mile to not only spend a month creating more awareness against violence but have ongoing activities that can foster the care of women and children,” said de Espinoza.
Throughout the churches in Inter-America, many members will be marching against violence, wherever possible with the social distancing guidelines, but most will be engaging in promoting awareness through social media platforms, according to de Espinoza.
In Central America, a special magazine will be distributed which calls for the ending of domestic violence. In addition, radio programs will be featuring doctors, lawyers, psychologists and health professionals highlighting the EnditNow event.
A special Sabbath morning EnditNow program will be featured throughout IAD churches on Bringing Peace Home—Addressing Youth Violence at the Roots, followed by two seminars on pornography addiction among young people and partners in the home.
In addition, video spots on EnditNow have been created this year to be shared on social media networks in English, Spanish and French.
“Women’s ministries leaders all across the 24-unions, are ready to continue making a difference this year with the resources available in sharing ‘no more violence, EnditNow,’” said de Espinoza.
EnditNow should not only be highlighted once a year but should be a permanent attitude to protecting women, children and even men from violence, she added. “We know that changes are progressive but it all starts with wanting to make a change,” de Espinoza said.
To download EnditNow resources in English, Spanish and French, click HERE