The Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa, (FECCIWA) on Saturday urged ministers of the gospel not to condone or connive with gender based violence perpetrators. “The church must not cover up for wrong doings but must report cases of violence to the appropriate authorities for legal redress,” FECCIWA stated in a communiqué issued in Accra after a four-day regional conference. The regional conference, on the theme: “Using Regional Approach to Fight against Gender Based Violence and Advance a Shared Security for Women Empowerment in the Churches in West Africa,” was attended by 12 out of 13 member states. The participating countries were: Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The communiqué, approved jointly by the Reverend Dr Fred Deegbe, FECCIWA President and Rev. Dr Tolbert Thomas Jallah, Junior Secretary-General, urged the church to avoid using gender exclusive languages in their sermons as well as limiting roles for women in decision making processes. The communiqué directed churches in the region to establish a counseling unit specifically on Gender Based Violence which would work towards reconciliation, teach issues that restored dignity and equality of human beings and used biblical values to teach members the ills of gender based violence. The West African Christian leaders also called for the institutionalization of a code of conduct in relation to gender based violence, instill Christian ethical principles of solidarity, resistance, relatedness and empower women and the vulnerable to break the cycle of poverty through skill acquisition and micro credit facilities. Churches were also tasked to advocate and lobby the governments in the region to ratify and contextualize international and regional instruments to end gender based violence. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Dr Deegbe expressed disgust about the increasing trend of gender based violence across Africa, adding; “If the church in West Africa is to be true to her witness of liberation for the poor, marginalized, violated women, men and children, then it has to re-examine its faith, spirituality and mission. “The church has to consider violence against women as a religious issue, an issue demanding thoughtful and immediate responses”. Source: GNA