It belongs to our day and age to witness the renewed voices of women challenging our world to be more and more a place of justice and peace rather than violence and war. The oppression of women has injured humankind and damaged the Earth. The time has come to hear the voices of our sisters and grandmothers, to honor the wisdom of those women who have dared to claim their dignity while inviting all peoples to claim their humanity for the benefit of all. From the Halls of Congress to the voices of real women, the World as we know it, is being transformed.

We are encouraged as His Holiness, Pope Francis, and The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, both signed the important document, “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” underscoring the rights of all human beings to live in peace with self-respect and self-determination. The paragraph on women is important. We can only hope these words will become more than just words. We quote the Document signed on February 4, 2019 in Adu Dhabi:

It is an essential requirement to recognize the right of women to education and employment,  and to recognize their freedom to exercise their own political rights. Moreover, efforts must be made to free women from historical and social conditioning that runs contrary to the principles of their faith and dignity. It is also necessary to protect women from sexual exploitation and from being treated as merchandise or objects of pleasure or financial gain. Accordingly, an end must be brought to all those inhuman and vulgar practices that denigrate the dignity of women. Efforts must be made to modify those laws that prevent women from fully enjoying their rights.