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Religious communities confront menstrual stigma in international webinar

Religious institutions worldwide are confronting their role in perpetuating menstrual stigma while simultaneously emerging as powerful advocates for women's dignity and health equity. The World Council of Churches (WCC) fourth annual Menstrual Hygiene Day webinar on 4 June brought together speakers from multiple continents and faith traditions to examine how patriarchal structures within religious communities have weaponised menstruation for control and marginalisation, whilst demonstrating how scripture, theology, and faith-based action can become tools for justice and liberation.

Upcoming global webinar tackles period stigma in faith communities

As the international community works toward achieving gender equality by 2030, faith leaders are stepping forward to address one of the most overlooked barriers to women's empowerment: menstrual stigma. A joint webinar on 4 June from 15:00-16:30 CEST will explore how religious communities can lead transformative change in making menstruation a normal fact of life globally.

The church as the healing community

In January 2025, I spent time with churches in Bolivia making an appeal for the church to become a healing community. For countries like Bolivia, with several health problems and lack of access to basic healthcare needs, the divine calling and pastoral care mandate for health and healing is unavoidable. 

In Bolivia, WCC reflects on progress and challenges of 40 years response to HIV

Gracia Violeta Ross, WCC programme executive for HIV, Reproductive Health, and Pandemics, offered two presentations in Bolivia, the first a training for leaders living with HIV on planning and project design for community-based organizations, and the second a keynote speech, entitled 40 years of the HIV response in Bolivia, progress and challenges,” offered at an art museums exhibition closure in Santa Cruz, which is the largest city in the country, with 42% of HIV cases in Bolivia,

Love, Justice, and Reproductive Health

A Framework for Churches
Alexa Dava

Christ’s call to love our neighbours as ourselves includes ensuring that all have access to the resources needed to live and flourish. And yet, societal barriers to reproductive health prevent many individuals from accessing necessary care. Love, Justice and Reproductive Health: A Framework for Churches invites churches to consider reproductive health from a perspective rooted in Christ’s love. It introduces key areas and addresses prevalent disparities within reproductive health outcomes. The framework encourages churches to act on this issue, providing programmatic suggestions for them to embody Christ’s love and justice within their own contexts.

Please send comments and questions to [email protected]
The author, Rev Alexa Dava is ordained with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and serves as project officer for Human Dignity and Reproductive Health at the WCC.

HIV/AIDS until when?

Many people living with HIV like me, would really like to say the HIV pandemic has finished and a cure and vaccine are available. That is aspirational; it is a dream. Currently there are 39 million people living with HIV, but only 29 million have access to treatment. 

WCC conducts training on HIV, mental health, and human rights in Namibia

The World Council of Churches (WCC), in collaboration with UNAIDS and national resource persons, conducted capacity-building programs on HIV, mental health, and human rights during the annual youth assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia from 31 October to 3 November in Ondangwa. Nearly 500 youth participated in the assembly.