Faith to Action Network in partnership with ARSIP (Alliance des Religieux pour la Santé Intégrale et la Promotion de la Personne Humaine), and with technical support from the Ministry of Family, Women and Children, convened a national advocacy workshop in Abidjan as part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The event brought together 45 participants, including government representatives, religious and traditional leaders, youth organizations, women’s associations, donors, and civil society actors.

Strengthening Collaboration Between Faith Actors and Government

The opening session underscored the importance of strong partnerships between faith actors and national institutions in advancing the objectives of the FM4J project, which seeks to mobilize faith leaders as champions of gender justice and social accountability. Representatives from key ministries particularly the Ministry of Family, Women and Children and the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Coverage, highlighted the value of coordinated action in addressing GBV.

The Ministry of Family, Women and Children commended Faith to Action Network’s continued in support to ARSIP’s advocacy and community mobilization work, recognizing its contribution to government-led initiatives.

“Your support has been a pillar to the government’s efforts,” one senior official noted.

This acknowledgment reflects growing trust and collaboration between faith-based organizations and government institutions, as well as the increasing influence of faith actors in shaping national conversations on GBV, family resilience, and gender equity.

Strengthening a Proven Community Model

The advocacy workshop focused on the expansion and institutionalization of the integrated model “Familles Fortes – Communautés Fortes,” which ARSIP has implemented since 2021 across 25 regions of Côte d’Ivoire. This model is built on three complementary pillars:

• Parent–child communication on healthy living, education, and prevention of risky behaviors
• Couple communication to promote equality, non-violence, respect, and solidarity within families
• Economic empowerment of households through Village Savings and Loan Associations

To date, ARSIP has trained more than 1,800 religious and traditional leaders, who have in turn sensitized over 21,000 parents and youth. Testimonies shared during the workshop demonstrated visible improvements in family communication, reduced domestic violence, increased participation of women in decision-making, and improved school retention among girls.

A Strategic Moment for National Advocacy

The Côte d’Ivoire context continues to reflect significant challenges: high maternal mortality, early marriage, persistent harmful practices, low contraceptive prevalence, and limited access to secondary education for girls. Addressing these issues requires coordinated, multisectoral action and faith actors remain one of the most influential drivers of social norms and behavior change.

Recognizing this, the workshop sought to:

• Strengthen the synergy between religious, traditional, community leaders and local authorities
• Promote the scaling-up of the integrated family resilience model
• Facilitate dialogue on cultural and religious practices influencing gender inequalities
• Develop a coordinated network of faith and community “defenders” of GBV prevention
• Draft a shared declaration and roadmap for sustained engagement

Throughout the deliberations, participants emphasized the urgency of combatting digital violence, the national theme for the 2025 16 Days campaign. Leaders shared lived experiences from their communities, underscoring the growing impact of online abuse on girls and young women and the need for faith institutions to help promote digital safety, responsibility, and protection.

Moving Forward: Joint Commitment and Next Steps

The workshop concluded with the co-development of a draft declaration of commitment, followed by a participatory process to design a roadmap for future action. These tools will guide coordinated efforts under the Faith Movement For Justice (FM4J) project, strengthening collaboration among government ministries, religious networks, women’s associations, youth groups, and community structures.