faith in action

Breaking the Cycle of Violence Against Girls

As part of the celebrations of the International Day of the Girl, Church and Society co-sponsored an event at the Canadian Embassy to the U.S. titled, "Data to Action: Breaking the Cycle of Violence Against Girls."


Gathered at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 11, Madame Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, the first lady of Canada, said, “Successful people sometimes say, ‘I always remember where I came from.’” She then added, “Well, where you came from is women.”

The crowd, gathered in celebration of International Day of the Girl, broke into applause.

The first lady offered the keynote address at the Canadian Embassy’s event titled, “Data to Action: Breaking the Cycle of Violence Against Girls.” Together For Girls, a global public-private partnership dedicated to ending violence against children, led the organization and funding of the event. Church and Society was a co-sponsor of the event along with UNICEF, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, and other nonprofit organizations working to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Trudeau was joined by a diverse group of speakers including:

  • Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Deputy Ambassador to the U.S.
  • U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell, Barbara Lee, Katherine Clark, Ed Royce, Steve Chabot and Nita Lowey
  • Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of U.N. Women
  • Representatives from U.S. agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and USAID.

Since the U.N. first marked the day in 2012, International Day of the Girl has been recognized around the globe as a day to highlight the needs and challenges facing girls worldwide while also promoting girls’ empowerment.

The United Methodist Church has worked for decades to eliminate violence against women and girls. The Social Principles state that the Church, “affirm[s] with Scripture the common humanity of male and female, both having equal worth in the eyes of God.” In the work to affirm the dignity and worth of girls, Church and Society also addresses issues of violence that disproportionately impact girls and women like human trafficking, domestic violence and child marriage.

Trudeau spoke to some of these UMC priorities when she listed harrowing statistics about human trafficking and domestic violence in North America. “We need these truths to rise to the surface.” Speaking to what can often be hidden issues, the first lady called for conversation, “Only then will we be led to address them.”

Michelle Bekkering of USAID shared that one of the U.S. agency’s areas of focus for women and girls is helping them survive and thrive in environments of crisis and conflict.

Many speakers touched on the ongoing crises in Myanmar with the Royhinga Muslims and in Nigeria with the Chibok girls. A common theme across presentations was the collective moral responsibility of leaders in all sectors to respond.

Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly omitted Together for Girls as the lead sponsor and funder of the event. You can learn more about Together for Girls here.