Destigmatizing Eve: Tackling the Underlying Culture of Patriarchal Honor and Shame Undermining the Work of Christian Relief and Development

Abstract

Christian relief and development (CRD) organizations work in patriarchal societies and cultures that devalue women and girls and limit the opportunities and rights they have. Through a theology of the “curse of Eve,” Christianity has extended this view of women as inferior, unclean, meant for subjugation, shameful, side-lined, and to blame for evil in the world. We explore how the theological and sociological drivers behind the “curse of Eve,” continue to have a shaming and blaming effect on females throughout the whole life cycle, with a vivid example of the experiences of widows in Kenya. The CRD sector has a strategic role in addressing theological and mythical roots of gender-based oppression. We explore ways in which the CRD sector can transform the deep roots of this historic and global stigma and suggest some tools for tackling structural stigmatization of women and girls.