UCC celebrates Womxn’s History Month in March and beyond

Womxn’s History Month is designated in March, and the United Church of Christ is celebrating. The celebration began with a webinar on March 4 entitled, “Womxn Are Here: Inspiring Generations Onward.” This featured intergenerational voices from across the UCC. Stories were shared, bringing hope and calling for justice for all.

“We kicked off Womxn’s History Month by uplifting the voices of womxn in a living-room style dialogue called, Womxn Are Here,” Gender & Sexuality minister and manager, Rachael Ward, shared. “Working collaboratively is not only how we continue seeking justice, but it’s also how we move love onward toward freedom. There were countless moments of wisdom shared between intergenerational leaders and intersectional thought. If you’re looking for a place to listen deeply and calm surges of overwhelm into peaceful action, this webinar is the place.”

You can view the webinar at the link below:

World Council of Churches event

During the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the UCC in partnership with the World Council of Churches will host a webinar discussing womxn’s role as peacemakers in armed conflict March 19, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Countries in representation and voice for this webinar range from Sudan, Nigeria, Palestine, Columbia and others. You can register for this webinar, here. 

Throughout Womxn’s History Month, there is the opportunity to join in the work of advocacy at the United Nations. The UN’s Commission on the Status of Women begins March 10 and runs through March 21. It is viewable by registration through www.ngocsw.org or watching official events on the United Nations Web TV. 

“It’s critical that we listen deeply to the voices of womxn across the globe,” said Ward. “Liberation and freedom are not possible without advocates for all bodies in need of safety, care, food and nourishment in the world.”

Ask Congress to protect womxn

“The UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy is asking all UCC members to call and email Congress to ask them to protect womxn’s rights this womxn’s month,” Ward shares. “Our DC team makes it so easy for you to take action into your own hands via our Justice and Peace Action Network.”

You can sign up for JPAN alerts where you’ll discover pre-filled scripts, digestible information and ways to contact Congress to protect Womxn’s Rights, here.

Womxn’s History: Not just for one month

Womxn’s history isn’t just for March, and a special workshop and learning community space for womxn will be offered April 8, May 13 and June 10 of this year. Called “Into the Deep: Womxn 2 Womxn Series” this series will lead into General Synod 35 in Kansas City.

This open-meeting format is a unique opportunity to build community and gather. Registration is now open, here and will close on April 7. There will be an in-person community event during General Synod for Womxn across the UCC to meet one another from this series as well.

A special note from Ward:

Offerings this year were collaboratively created through UCC National Setting Womxn’s Working Table. This table aims to cultivate healing and restorative justice for womxn through the collective power and voice of the United Church of Christ. 

We empower and coordinate collaborative advocacy, education and solidarity by centering the experiences of womxn and other impacted communities regarding gender justice. We seek the dismantling of systems oppressing womxn, so a just world for all built on equity, autonomy, nonviolence and collective liberation can bloom. 

You’ll notice in this article that womxn is spelled with an “x.” This spelling offers an inclusive and expansive spelling embodying and honoring the complexity of gender beyond the spectrum. This means trans womxm are womxn. This means that space is held for individuals who identify as genderfluid, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, or non-binary. When we say womxn, we mean liberation and transformative justice for all. 

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