By Andrew Humphries
When Associate General Secretary Rev Sharon Hollis celebrated International Women’s Day at a special event in March, it was an ideal opportunity to promote another cause very close to her heart.
During her role as Uniting Church in Australia President from 2021-24, Sharon was installed as an ambassador for the Thursdays in Black movement, a role she proudly continues today.
Begun by the World Council of Churches, Thursdays in Black is an ecumenical campaign that encourages people to speak out against all forms of gender-based violence.
People can participate by wearing black on Thursdays as a symbol of strength and resistance.
Thursdays was chosen to acknowledge the mothers of the disappeared, who protest on that day each week in Argentina following the disappearance of their children during the country’s violent dictatorship.
As well as raising awareness, Thursdays in Black aims to uncover the root causes of gender-based violence and to identify misinterpretations of the Bible and theology that have led to gender inequality.
“The Thursdays in Black movement has a long history and there is so much wrapped up in it all,” Sharon says.
Her appointment as an ambassador provided an opportunity to begin a discussion with Uniting Church members around Australia on violence, and how its impacts could be addressed.
“The Thursdays in Black campaign is, on one level, very simple and I would really encourage Uniting Church members to wear black and proudly show off the campaign’s badge each Thursday,” Sharon says.
“Behind that, though, is my hope that Uniting Church members will educate themselves about violence, which may be occurring in their own communities, about the places where they could report acts of violence, and how they can become alert to gender-based injustice in their own lives.
“They should also be considering whether their congregation welcomes women and diverse presentations of gender and, if they are Ministers, worship leaders or lay preachers, whether they are preaching against violence and taking on some of the hard texts in scripture about violence.
“Thursdays in Black explores how we can address violence, particularly gender-based violence, and how we can be advocates and activists around this.”
As an ambassador, Sharon is committed to continuing to shine a light on the issue of violence against women.
“We know it’s a long-standing issue in the community that requires ongoing and regular attention,” she says.
“Violence against women used to be a hidden epidemic and I grew up in a time when people would give a nod and wink about domestic and intimate partner violence.
“It’s distressing to hear cases of women being killed by a partner or family member, but the fact that it’s now actually being reported is a positive first step.
“I take great heart from living in Victoria, where real work has been done about addressing this issue through the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
“A conversation now taking place in the open around violence is, for me, a hopeful sign.”
“It’s work that is important and good, and work that God is calling me to do,” says Sharon.
It’s a campaign, says Sharon, that represents “good work, hard work and holy work”.
“Yes, it’s hard work, and I imagine most people know someone who has been a victim of gender-based violence, sexual assault and family violence, and that knowledge can impact people on a personal level and really affect them,” she says.
“I also think it’s ‘good work’ because society’s wellbeing depends on us working hard to eliminate gender-based violence.
“It’s also ‘holy work’ because what compels me is an understanding that God chooses the way of non-violence in order to confront violence.
“What makes the hard work possible is that it’s work that is important and good, and work that God is calling me to do.
“We must keep going and informing ourselves, and continue to confront the issues in our own communities, saying that gender-based violence is unacceptable in the eyes of God.
“We keep going because it matters and because we can create a groundswell that forces governments and civil society organisations to continue the work of addressing violence.”
Women stand up and speak out
Started by the World Council of Churches, Thursdays in Black grew from the Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women, from 1988 to 1998.
During those years, stories of rape as a weapon of war, gender injustice, abuse, violence, and many tragedies that are part of such violence became all the more visible.
What also became visible, though, was women’s resilience, agency and personal efforts to resist such violations.
We all have a responsibility to speak out against violence, to ensure that women and men, boys and girls, are safe from rape and violence in homes, schools, work, streets – in all places in our societies.
The campaign is simple but profound. Wear black on Thursdays. Wear a pin to declare you are part of the global movement resisting attitudes and practices that permit rape and violence. Show your respect for women who are resilient in the face of injustice and violence. Encourage others to join you.
From the World Council of Churches’ Thursdays in Black website