Framework for Empowerment Via Education Program (EVE): Addressing Religious

Barriers to Gender Equality

1. Recognizes the Empowerment Via Education Program (EVE)

○ EVE will adhere to the UN SDG on quality education, addressing religious
and cultural barriers to ensure equal access to education for women and
men.
2. Utilization of Media and Educational Channels
○ Both online and traditional mediums will be employed to reach diverse
communities, emphasizing that education is essential for both genders and
aligns with religious values.
3. Promoting Gender Equality in Education
○ Promote gender equality in educational opportunities and outcomes by
demonstrating that religious teachings support the empowerment of both
women and men through education.
4. Addressing Cultural and Religious Barriers
○ Actively confront cultural and societal obstacles that hinder girls’ access to
education by engaging religious texts and leaders to demonstrate the
alignment of education with faith.
5. Training Community and Religious Leaders to Combat Harmful Practices
○ Conduct workshops to train religious and community leaders to reduce child
marriages by framing the issue within religious teachings that promote the
protection and dignity of women.
○ These workshops will:
i. Be held locally to ensure community engagement and trust.
ii. Use religious teachings to educate leaders on the need to prevent violence
against women.
iii. Initiate dialogues on women’s rights with religious and community leaders,
framing gender equality as compatible with faith.
iv. Showcase progressive Muslim nations that uphold gender equality while
respecting Islamic faith, countering extremist stereotypes.
v. Include Muslim scholars and women’s rights activists who champion
feminist interpretations of Islamic texts, supporting peace-building and gender
equality.
6. Investment in Education Infrastructure
○ Invest in infrastructure and resources to ensure widespread access to quality
education that aligns with religious and cultural values.
7. Training and Empowering Educators
○ Provide training sessions for teachers with UNESCO’s support to enable them
to play a proactive role in overcoming religious barriers and promoting
gender-inclusive education.
8. Ongoing Professional Development for Teachers
○ Ensure continuous professional development opportunities for educators,
equipping them with innovative methods to engage communities on gender
equality while respecting religious beliefs.
9. Inclusive Education Policies
 ○ Develop inclusive education policies that accommodate students with diverse
learning needs, framed within a context that respects religious and cultural
sensitivities.
10. Technology Integration
● Integrate technology into education, making religious teachings and modern
education work together to enhance learning experiences and overcome
conservative barriers.
11. International Partnerships and Religious Collaboration
● Forge partnerships with international organizations, NGOs, and religious scholars
who advocate for gender equality, fostering collaborative efforts to balance religion
and education.
12. Support from UN Agencies
● With support from UNICEF, UNDP, and UNESCO, hire staff and teachers dedicated
to implementing education as a tool for development, framed within religious respect.
13. Provision of Learning Materials
● UNICEF and UNESCO will provide stationery and books, ensuring that educational
content promotes gender equality in a way that aligns with religious values.
14. Government Reporting and Accountability
● Governments will submit regular progress reports to the UN on EVE’s
implementation, detailing successes or adjustments needed to better address
religious and cultural hindrances to women’s education.
15. United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) Goals
● Support UNLD’s mission to increase literacy and empower all people by
demonstrating that education, especially for women, is fully compatible with religious
teachings.

EAT Framework for Raising Awareness on Child Marriage, Funded by the Fund for
Gender Equality

1. E for Ensuring Participation of Adolescents

○ Increase the participation of adolescents, particularly teenage girls, to reduce
isolation and raise awareness about the dangers of child marriage by
respecting cultural and religious sensitivities.
2. a. Host youth workshops to discuss the risks of child marriage, with a focus on
engaging local religious and community leaders to align with faith-based values.
b. Initially hold girls-only workshops for sensitive topics, ensuring a culturally
appropriate approach, covering:
i. Reproductive and sexual rights within a religious context.
ii. Biological processes such as menstruation, framed in a respectful and faith-aligned
manner.
iii. Negative impacts of child marriage, supported by religious teachings on the value
of women’s health and dignity.
iv. Family planning and reproductive health from a holistic, faith-respecting viewpoint.
3. A for Awareness
○ Empower young people as advocates for change through faith-sensitive
educational programs, workshops, and peer-to-peer campaigns that consider
cultural and religious contexts.
 4. a. Utilize social media and digital tools to engage youth, highlighting the health
consequences of early marriage for girls and boys, within a religious and culturally
respectful narrative.
b. Organize community dialogues to address cultural and religious norms
surrounding child marriage, dismantling misconceptions by involving religious leaders
who support gender equality.
c. Emphasize the physical and mental health risks of early marriages and
pregnancies, framed within religious teachings on protecting youth.
5. Male-Only Workshops
○ Organize male-only workshops to challenge misogynistic ideas, using
religious teachings to promote equality and discourage child marriage.
6. a. Discuss economic impacts of child marriage and its psychological and physical toll
on young brides, in alignment with religious principles.
b. Explore reproductive rights and gender-based violence, emphasizing the religious
obligation to protect and support women.
7. T for Transform
○ Establish a regulatory system under which NGOs work with governments and
religious leaders to develop culturally and religiously aligned programs that
promote financial literacy and gender equality.
8. a. Create education programs specific to local cultures and religious practices,
promoting gender equality through economic empowerment.
b. Promote basic mathematical and financial skills, ensuring these are accessible to
all and culturally respectful.
9. Collaboration with NGOs
○ Establish a UNDP sub-committee to oversee and approve NGOs working with
local and religious organizations to ensure alignment with cultural and
religious values.
10. a. Approved NGOs will work with local, community-based organizations to create
programs that promote gender equality, considering cultural and religious contexts.
b. Focus on providing women with access to microcredit loans and financial literacy
education, especially in post-conflict zones, as a method to combat child marriage.

READ Framework for Reducing Child Brides in Developing Zones

1. R for Remembering to Set Up Educational Facilities

○ Establish educational facilities in IDP/refugee camps to prevent girls from
being abused, aligning with cultural and religious values that emphasize the
protection and dignity of women.
○ These schools will cater primarily to students from grades 7 to 12, ensuring
they receive quality education while respecting local cultural and religious
contexts.
○ Focus will be placed on teaching mathematics, sciences, and computer
science to prepare girls for higher education opportunities outside of the
camps.
2. E for Establishing a Joint Exam Center
○ Create one joint exam center near refugee camps, managed by UNHCR, to
provide refugee students access to standardized international exams like the
SAT, IELTS, LSAT, and MCAT, promoting future academic opportunities.
 ○ The managing bodies of these exams will exercise flexibility regarding
organizing and holding the exams to accommodate the unique circumstances
of refugee students.
3. A for Accepting Income-Generating Activities
○ Implement income-generating activities to prevent poverty and empower
women, respecting cultural norms and ensuring opportunities for
self-sufficiency.
○ Introduce waste management activities where women can collect and dispose
of rubbish as a nominal source of income.
○ Organize workshops to teach entrepreneurial skills, allowing women to
manage small businesses while respecting their cultural and religious values.
○ UN Women, in collaboration with UNHCR, will also start skills training
programs to develop vocational skills, including toy making, household item
creation, and artwork, for income generation.
4. D for Determining to Amend Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
○ Amend Article 27 to explicitly include child marriage in conflict zones as an
"attack against honor," providing necessary protection under international law.
5. Funding
○ The funding for this project will be provided by the UN Fund for Gender
Equality, Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Trust Fund, NGOs like Women
for Women International, and the Association for Women’s Rights in
Development (AWID). A funding pool will also be established with
contributions from countries like ___________________________

Empowerment Programs for Women (EEE Framework)

1. Empowerment Programs
○ Programs will offer life skills training, mentorship, and educational resources
for women, with content tailored to respect both cultural traditions and
religious teachings. Religious leaders will be engaged to support these
programs, ensuring alignment with values that promote the dignity, respect,
and empowerment of women.
2. Recommends the EEE Framework
○ Educate:
a. Teach women about the signs of domestic abuse, its physical and
psychological impact, and their legal rights. Educational initiatives will
emphasize the protection of women as a fundamental principle in major
religious traditions.
b. Religious scholars will collaborate to ensure that teachings are integrated
with faith-based values that promote kindness, protection, and justice within
families.
c. Schools funded by ______________________ will deliver this education,
with religious and community leaders providing their guidance to ensure the
material resonates with local communities.
d. Include religious texts and interpretations that support women's rights and
protection, breaking down misconceptions around gender roles.
 ○ Empower:
a. Campaign for women's self-esteem and financial independence by
promoting their inherent worth and rights as endorsed by religious teachings.
b. Encourage movements and initiatives that demonstrate how women can
find strength in their faith, showing that they are not alone in their struggles.
c. Support entrepreneurial programs for women in religious communities,
fostering both economic growth and religious solidarity.
d. Offer faith-based counseling for victims of abuse to help them heal
emotionally, physically, and spiritually, combining psychological support with
religious guidance.
○ Enforce:
a. Collaborate with religious and community leaders to implement and enforce
laws that protect women from domestic abuse. By having religious authorities
advocate for these laws, cultural resistance can be minimized.
b. Create partnerships with religious organizations to ensure that religious
spaces are safe and supportive for women to speak out against violence.
c. Engage religious institutions in campaigns that reinterpret harmful traditions
and practices, such as forced marriages and child marriages, showing how
they conflict with core religious teachings.
d. Provide faith-based legal support systems, ensuring that women know their
rights both under the law and within religious frameworks, empowering them
to seek protection confidently.

LEAD Framework (Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy, Dialogue)

1. Leadership:
a. Advocate for the inclusion of women in leadership roles within religious institutions,
recognizing their capabilities and contributions to spiritual and community growth.
b. Establish quotas or targets to ensure women hold significant leadership positions
in religious councils and decision-making bodies.
c. Promote mentorship programs where senior religious leaders, including both men
and women, guide aspiring female leaders.
2. Empowerment:
a. Empower women through theological education and training that focuses on
leadership within their religious communities.
b. Encourage women to become scholars of religious texts, providing them with the
knowledge and tools to advocate for gender equality from within their faith.
c. Support women with access to religious platforms where they can preach, teach,
or lead prayers, thereby normalizing female religious authority.
3. Advocacy:
a. Create faith-based advocacy campaigns that challenge traditional interpretations
of religious texts that exclude women from leadership, using progressive and
inclusive interpretations.
b. Work with male religious leaders to promote the importance of women’s leadership
in the religious sector, ensuring they become allies in the cause.
c. Advocate for policy changes within religious institutions that allow for greater
gender equality, including the ability for women to hold senior clergy roles.
 4. Dialogue:
a. Organize interfaith dialogues where women from different religious communities
can share their experiences and strategies for increasing female leadership in
religious sectors.
b. Facilitate discussions between religious scholars, community leaders, and
women’s rights activists to reinterpret religious texts in ways that support women’s
leadership.
c. Engage religious communities in conversations about the benefits of female
leadership, emphasizing how inclusive leadership strengthens faith-based institutions
and communities.

UNITY Framework (Unite, Narrate, Inspire, Transform, Yield)

1. Unite:
a. Establish a global platform for women of diverse religious backgrounds to unite
and share their personal experiences regarding gender issues within their religious
communities.
b. Partner with interfaith organizations, religious institutions, and international bodies
to ensure the initiative is widely supported and accessible to women of all faiths.
c. Foster an environment of solidarity and mutual understanding by connecting
women across different religious contexts to form a united front in addressing gender
inequality.
2. Narrate:
a. Facilitate the sharing of personal stories through secure online platforms,
conferences, and publications, enabling women to speak about their challenges,
successes, and aspirations related to gender roles in their faith communities.
b. Amplify these narratives through a coordinated media campaign, including social
media, documentaries, podcasts, and public forums, to raise global awareness of the
issues women face within religious frameworks.
c. Ensure that these narratives include stories of overcoming adversity, advocacy for
women’s rights within religious teachings, and examples of how faith can empower
women.
3. Inspire:
a. Showcase inspiring stories of women who have made strides in religious
leadership or have successfully advocated for gender equality within their
communities.
b. Create mentorship opportunities where women leaders from various faiths can
guide and inspire the next generation of female advocates and leaders.
c. Highlight examples of religious traditions and teachings that support gender
equality, demonstrating how faith and empowerment can coexist harmoniously.
4. Transform:
a. Leverage the shared stories to initiate interfaith dialogues, workshops, and
educational campaigns aimed at challenging harmful interpretations of religious texts
that perpetuate gender inequality.
b. Collaborate with religious scholars, community leaders, and policymakers to
advocate for reforms that promote women's participation in religious leadership and
 eliminate practices that hinder their rights.
c. Encourage religious institutions to reflect on the stories and implement tangible
reforms, such as the inclusion of women in decision-making roles and addressing
gender-based violence within faith communities.
5. Yield:
a. Assess the impact of the UNITY platform by gathering feedback from participants,
religious institutions, and communities, with a focus on shifts in attitudes, policies,
and practices regarding gender equality.
b. Document and publicize case studies where the sharing of experiences has led to
meaningful change, such as the revision of religious practices or the empowerment
of women within faith-based settings.
c. Foster ongoing interfaith collaboration to ensure sustained dialogue and continued
progress toward gender equality in religious spheres, establishing the UNITY
initiative as a long-term, transformative movement.
6. Help:
a. Establish religious-sensitive call centers, tailored to provide culturally and
religiously appropriate assistance for victims of gender-based violence (GBV),
particularly focusing on those hesitant to come forward due to religious stigmas.
b. Create dedicated hotlines that respect religious contexts, encouraging victims of
abuse to report cases of violence, harassment, and other forms of abuse.
c. Offer anonymity to reporters, ensuring their protection and comfort while
emphasizing the compatibility of reporting crimes with religious obligations of justice
and protecting the vulnerable.
d. Ensure victims have immediate access to legal aid, psychological support, and
religious counsel to empower them to seek justice without compromising their faith.
7. Oversee:
a. Partner with religious authorities to ensure religious laws are properly understood
and practiced in cases of gender-based violence. Misinterpretations that may have
historically hindered justice should be corrected through continuous education and
awareness programs.
b. Create a body of trained religious leaders, police officers, and legal professionals
who can investigate and manage cases in line with religious teachings that uphold
women’s rights, avoiding the use of religion as an excuse for oppression.
c. Regularly audit the application of religious laws to identify gaps in enforcing justice
for victims of gender violence, ensuring accountability and transparency in all
processes.
8. Legislate:
a. Align national laws with progressive interpretations of religious doctrines that
protect women from violence. The principle of maqasid al-sharia (objectives of
Islamic law), for example, supports justice, protection, and welfare, ensuring that
legal frameworks serve the dignity and rights of women.
b. Pass and enforce strict legislation against gender-based violence, supported by
religious texts that denounce abuse, and ensure religious courts enforce these laws
with no loopholes or leniency for perpetrators.
c. Develop national religious and legal strategies to systematically combat common
religious or cultural barriers that prevent women from accessing justice, such as
victim-blaming or forced reconciliation.
 9. Deliver:
a. Ensure justice for victims by delivering swift and fair punishments for perpetrators
based on both national law and religious principles that emphasize the sanctity of life,
dignity, and equality.
b. Build partnerships with religious institutions to advocate for and disseminate
proper interpretations of religious laws that demand accountability for perpetrators,
ensuring that any religious-based barriers are dismantled.
c. Foster educational campaigns within religious communities that educate both men
and women about their religious and legal rights, ensuring that violence and
discrimination are not excused or tolerated in the name of faith.
d. Hold religious workshops to debunk harmful cultural norms disguised as religious
practices, ensuring the faithful understand that protecting women from violence is a
religious and moral duty.

Abortion Facility Development and Support Framework

Legal Framework:

a. Establish a legal framework that allows for abortion services to be provided safely
and legally up to the end of the third trimester. This law will ensure that women have
access to necessary reproductive health services while maintaining oversight and
regulation of abortion procedures.

Infrastructure Development for Medical Institutes:

a. Facility Construction:

○ Develop a comprehensive plan for building abortion clinics that include

modern medical facilities equipped for both surgical and medical abortion
procedures, ensuring compliance with international health standards.
○ Facilities will be designed to provide a welcoming and confidential
environment, minimizing stigma and ensuring comfort for women seeking
care.

b. Funding and Donations:

○ Sourcing Donations: Engage with international donor countries,

philanthropic organizations, and NGOs to secure funding for infrastructure
development. Potential donor countries could include ______ (e.g., Canada,
Norway, Sweden) known for their support of women's health initiatives.
○ Public-Private Partnerships: Explore partnerships between governmental
health departments and private organizations to share resources and
expertise in setting up and operating these facilities.

Recruitment of Qualified Medical Professionals:

a. Hiring Gynaecologists and Healthcare Staff:
 ○ Implement targeted recruitment campaigns to attract qualified gynaecologists,
obstetricians, and nurses specialized in reproductive health, including those
with experience in providing abortion services.
○ Collaborate with medical schools and training institutions to create residency
programs that focus on reproductive health, ensuring a pipeline of trained
professionals.
○ Provide incentives such as competitive salaries, professional development
opportunities, and relocation assistance to encourage medical professionals
to work in underserved areas.

b. Ongoing Training:

○ Establish continuous professional education programs that include updates

on the latest reproductive health practices, sensitivity training for handling
abortion-related cases, and workshops on providing compassionate care.

Organizing Workshops and Awareness Campaigns:

a. Workshop Design and Structure:

○ Develop a curriculum for workshops focused on sexual and reproductive

rights, safe abortion practices, and women’s health education. Topics may
include contraceptive methods, the importance of reproductive healthcare,
and emotional support after an abortion.
○ Workshops will be designed to be interactive, utilizing role-playing, case
studies, and group discussions to foster an open dialogue and build
confidence in participants.

b. Logistics and Locations:

○ Organize workshops in community centers, schools, and healthcare facilities

to ensure accessibility for all women, especially those in rural or underserved
areas.
○ Collaborate with local NGOs, women’s rights organizations, and community
health workers to facilitate the workshops and encourage participation.

Reducing Stigma Through Community Engagement:

a. Community Awareness Campaigns:

○ Launch campaigns aimed at destigmatizing abortion and promoting sexual

and reproductive rights. This can include public service announcements,
social media outreach, and community events that celebrate women’s health
and empowerment.
○ Engage religious and community leaders to participate in dialogue sessions,
highlighting positive interpretations of religious texts that support women’s
rights and reproductive health.

b. Peer Support Networks:

 ○ Establish peer support groups for women who have experienced abortions,
providing a platform for shared experiences, emotional support, and
advocacy.
○ Train peer leaders who can facilitate discussions and provide resources for
women seeking reproductive healthcare, ensuring a supportive environment
for open conversation.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

a. Feedback Mechanisms:

○ Implement feedback systems to gather input from women using the facilities
and attending workshops, allowing for continuous improvement of services
and educational offerings.
○ Conduct regular assessments of workshop effectiveness and community
attitudes towards reproductive health to measure the impact of stigma
reduction initiatives.