Darrow Miller and Friends

Getting Involved in the Fight Against Gendercide

Earth, we have a question!

The members of the DNA Team Blog were overwhelmed by the response to the blog Gendercide: The War Against Baby Girls. We have been blogging now for a year and a half and we have never had a response like this to our writing. Why?

The other question is so what? Will anything come of it?

In the years that I have had the privilege of traveling globally and meeting people from some of the poorest nations on earth, my heart has been broken by the plight of women. The conversations and images are seared in my mind. One dear friend in India, with tears in her eyes, told me that she wished that God had made her a man.  A friend from Romania told me that many Romanian women would rather have an abortion than carry a baby to term because the way that hospital personnel treat childbirth is so dehumanizing for both mother and baby. Seeing women in Africa working the fields, caring for their families and, all too often, being neglected and beaten by their husbands has deeply shaken me. One African nation has a saying: “Real men beat their wives!”

A number of years ago I met a young woman in Korea. During a question and answer time after one of my presentations, this woman stood up an announced to the whole room, “I hate being a woman in Korea!” When I asked why, she shared her story. Soon she was weeping. Then other young women in the room began to weep and share their stories.

A few days later, I met with her over coffee. She asked if I would suggest an English name for her (this is a common question I get from young people in Asia who enjoy interacting with Westerners). I immediately said “You are Esther!” Queen Esther is the Biblical heroine who stood up for her people, the Jews. This young woman had stood up for the plight of her Korean sisters.  In that same moment, I said to “Esther,” “I want to be your Mordechai.” Mordechai was Esther’s cousin who supported, encouraged, and stood with her in her moment of need.

During this same conversation a thought formed in my mind. One way I could be a “Mordechai” was to begin to speak out on the plight of women. From this conviction was born a book and teaching seminar, both titled Nurturing the Nations. My heartfelt prayer is that these efforts will raise up and encourage other Esthers and Mordechais who will fight against gendercide and the larger war against women. By the way, if you are interested in hosting one of these workshops, I’ve love to hear from you. Please contact us.

Now, to answer the question so many have asked:  how might you engage?

First, become informed. Read books like Lillian Calles Barger’s Eve’s Revenge, Gary A. Haugen’s Good News About Injustice, and Ann Crittenden’s The Price of Motherhood. One of those who commented on the Genercide blog wrote:

“I suggest you see the film, Half the Sky LIVE, by husband and wife Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Nicholas, I believe, is the New York Times Beijing Bureau Chief. He and his wife advocate on behalf of girls. I saw their film last week in Boston.  The Boston Metro reported the film’s debut with this startling statistic: More girls have been killed in the last 50 years than all the men who were killed by every war in the 20th century, combined!”

Second, engage others in conversation. Helpful resources for this are provided by the Damaris Project which “provide[s] women with resources for starting conversations in their personal circles and communities about women’s lives, culture, and the teachings of Jesus.” Here is a place for women to interact on a community level about the issues that relate to their lives.

Third, get involved. Give yourself to something that is bigger than you are—to fighting the injustices done against women through violence and poverty. Here are a few ideas to stimulate your thinking. Your life will be changed, and I have no doubt that God will use you to make an impact in the lives of hurting people.

1. In our hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, a coalition of churches have banded together to put an end to sexual slavery of children and youth. A powerful film was developed to spotlight this tragic problem called Branded. On the Branded website, there are several helpful options for how you can get involved.

2. The coalition of churches that have joined to combat this atrocity in Phoenix is called StreetLight. This is exactly the kind of compassionate work that churches ought to be engaged in, standing up for the God-given dignity of young women and speaking out for those who cannot speak for themselves. Bravo, Streetlight!

3. Volunteer, donate, or otherwise help support the excellent work of Crisis Pregnancy Centers which serve women confronted with unplanned pregnancy.

4. Serve with a Christian relief and development organization like Food for the Hungry which works among vulnerable women in poor communities and slums around the world.

5. Get involved with the International Justice Mission, a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. Part of their work involves rescuing girls as young nine who have been sold into sex slavery and exploited by the sex-tourist industry.

6. Heartbeat International serves over 1,100 affiliates in nearly 50 countries to provide alternatives to abortion.

7. Joni and Friends is another outstanding organization that works with disabled women and children around the world.

Earth, we have a problem! We need people who will engage against the injustice against women and young girls.

– Darrow Miller

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About 
Darrow is co-founder of the Disciple Nations Alliance and a featured author and teacher. For over 30 years, Darrow has been a popular conference speaker on topics that include Christianity and culture, apologetics, worldview, poverty, and the dignity of women. From 1981 to 2007 Darrow served with Food for the Hungry International (now FH association), and from 1994 as Vice President. Before joining FH, Darrow spent three years on staff at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland where he was discipled by Francis Schaeffer. He also served as a student pastor at Northern Arizona University and two years as a pastor of Sherman Street Fellowship in urban Denver, CO. In addition to earning his Master’s degree in Adult Education from Arizona State University, Darrow pursued graduate studies in philosophy, theology, Christian apologetics, biblical studies, and missions in the United States, Israel, and Switzerland. Darrow has authored numerous studies, articles, Bible studies and books, including Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Culture (YWAM Publishing, 1998), Nurturing the Nations: Reclaiming the Dignity of Women for Building Healthy Cultures (InterVarsity Press, 2008), LifeWork: A Biblical Theology for What You Do Every Day (YWAM, 2009), Rethinking Social Justice: Restoring Biblical Compassion (YWAM, 2015), and more. These resources along with links to free e-books, podcasts, online training programs and more can be found at Disciple Nations Alliance (https://disciplenations.org).

2 Comments

  1. emt training

    April 9, 2010 - 9:28 am

    Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article

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