While these global gatherings are vital, they can sometimes feel distant from the women making a difference in their communities. As we prepare for the CSW, we want to bridge this gap by sharing stories of three women whose work epitomises what the Beijing Declaration seeks to empower and protect.

Hawi's story

In Hawi's town of Ziway, Ethiopia, the community faced religious and ethnic conflicts. We worked with the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) to deliver training that equipped Hawi and other community members with reconciliation skills.

Hawi recounts a troubling incident where a Bible was cut and placed in front of an Orthodox church to instigate conflict. Thanks to the JISRA training, Hawi says, 'The religious leaders gathered to understand that this act was done by unknown groups who did not want reconciliation. What I liked the most was seeing religious leaders who previously hated each other starting to discuss and support one another.'

Not only did Hawi play a role in community-level reconciliation with faith leaders, but she also crossed cultural divides to serve other women: 'I once visited a woman who had been bedridden for over 14 years due to illness, and no one was taking care of her. Even though I am Oromo and she is Amhara, our ethnic differences didn't stop me. I rushed to her neighbours and asked them to help clean her and her house.'

'In just two days, we raised 12,000 birr. With the money we collected, I bought essential items and gave her the leftover cash. Initially, many people criticised me, asking why I was helping during the holiday.

'They said I should stay home, but now they appreciate my efforts. Whenever I think of the JISRA project, I believe it is a gift from God. To sustain this work, I think it is essential to focus on educating the new generation and our young people.'

Constance's story

In Zaruma, Nigeria, women had no representation in leadership. Men controlled all decisions for generations, neglecting issues vital to women and families such as healthcare, education and economic opportunities. This left Constance and the women in her community feeling powerless to shape their futures.

Inspired by JISRA's training and eager to make a change, Constance began speaking out about greater female inclusion in Zaruma. She engaged with community leaders, emphasising the benefits of inclusive decision-making and women's representation in leadership roles.

As a result, Constance became the first-ever female leader in Zaruma – a historic milestone that broke longstanding barriers. Constance says, 'Now within the stakeholders, that's the lawmakers, women are included. I'm the first woman that was included here. Today, there are 16 women in the stakeholders of the community.' With a more inclusive approach to leadership and governance, the women leaders in Zaruma championed election literacy in their community which further led to a female councillor elected in their community.

The community continues to experience positive transformations because women actively participate in decision-making, a living example of the power of women's leadership and advocacy to bring sustainable impact in communities.

Zinash's story

'In Werka, religious-based conflicts were more frequent than ethnic conflicts, but the launch of the JISRA project here has given hope to religious minorities,' says Zinash. 'The idea that young people should have a good influence on the social, economic and political situation of the time has challenged my thoughts.'

'After the JISRA training, I was able to reconcile two conflicting ethnic groups. At that time, there was a terrible conflict between Sidama and Guji Oromo. My question was: should I play my role in reconciling them? In the compound where I lived, there were both ethnic groups. They were fighting and wanting to kill each other. Most of one ethnic group were Muslims, and the other were Christians, so the conflict also had a religious aspect.'

'Since I am outside of the two ethnic groups, I was accepted by both sides. I had no difficulty bringing them together to be reconciled. I arranged a dinner party at our house, and we created an opportunity for people from both ethnic groups to have dinner together. When they started talking about their differences, I went between them and started to reconcile them. The conflict that was likely to escalate was prevented!'

What we'd like to see happen next

Hawi, Constance and Zinash demonstrate just how important women of faith are to building sustainable and equitable peace. At Tearfund, we're committed to championing the role of women in ensuring a peaceful and inclusive future for all.

That's why we are attending the 2025 Commission on the Status of Women with three clear asks of the UN and world leaders:

• Remove laws, regulations and policies that are unfair to women and girls. These create inequality and make it harder for them to get fair treatment, especially when it comes to their religion or beliefs.
• Prioritise funding, resources and assistance to end religious violence and provide safety for women and girls in fragile states.
• Promote collaboration with faith leaders and faith-based organisations to develop sustainable programmes that support gender equality, freedom of religion or belief, and peacebuilding.

To hear more inspiring stories and further explore our recommendations to the UN, we'd love you to join our Faith, Empowerment and Equality event on Thursday 13 March. The event is in person in New York and available to watch live online. Find out more and sign up for your free ticket here.