SASA! Faith and Women’s Leadership
SASA! Faith mobilizes faith communities to challenge harmful norms, prevent violence against women, and promote gender equality.
2026-01-22
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Introduction and Background
SASA! Faith is a social norm change initiative aiming to prevent violence against women (VAW), it is rooted in faith values of justice, peace and dignity, mobilizes faith communities to challenge harmful social norms, power dynamics and promote gender equality through religious teachings.
By engaging religious leaders (RLs) and community activists (CAs) the project strengthened their capacity to reflect on faith-based values and apply them in their lives as well as their social circles including in faith spaces. Through RLs, CA and Women in Church Leadership (WiCL) engagements as well as the SASA! Faith dialogues, the project fosters important conversations about power, equality, inclusion and the role of influencing issues of GBV and women empowerment in faith communities.
As RLs, CAs, WiCL and Congregants deepen their understanding of gender equality within their faith spaces they become facilitators for change by mentoring women congregants to amplify their voices, fostering power within and creating space for female leadership especially in traditionally male-dominated faith spaces (Apostolic Churches). The ripple effect empowers women to take on visible roles in leadership, decision-making and spiritual guidance, transforming faith spaces into platforms for balancing power equity and inclusion. Therefore, one of the most fascinating unintended outcomes of the SASA! Faith initiative has been the transformation of faith spaces to embrace women's leadership and participation in decision-making platforms.
Religious Leaders and Community Activists facilitate women’s inclusion in leadership
Religious leaders and CAs are playing the catalyst role in the promotion of women in leadership and decision making within faith spaces. This is due to their appreciation of women’s importance in decision making as well as leadership. This led these cadres to engage and influence the church leadership at higher level to consider having women in church leadership.
- In Ward 21 of Bikita District the Kuratidzwa KwaJohane Apostolic Church (KKJAC) had long excluded women from leadership due to its beliefs, church constitution and church doctrine. In 2023, UDACIZA introduced SASA! Faith methodology to challenge harmful gender norms and promote equality in their faith space. A male religious leader and a male Community Activist from KKJAC used their influence to advocate for the inclusion of women in leadership roles within the faith space. Although they initially faced resistance from church leadership, their continued engagement and advocacy helped open dialogue and begin shifting attitudes toward greater gender inclusivity. Through ongoing respectful dialogue, attitudes began to shift and by February 2025, women participated in the church’s national constitutional review. This led to a change, allowing women to hold senior positions, including the appointment of a female prophetess known as a Rabaoma the role previously reserved for men. The transformation empowered women to speak openly and contribute meaningfully to both spiritual and social matters turning a once male-dominated space into a more inclusive and equitable faith community. (Longitudinal Data Collection May 2025)
Women involved as leading actors in faith spaces
As part of the project’s work to involve men in promoting gender equality special activities were organized (social diffusion) to reach men who were not directly part of the SASA! Faith program. These activities helped teach and support these men to understand the importance of treating women with respect and dignity. Some of the men who took part began to apply the faith-based values of justice, peace and dignity in their own lives and communities. They started to encourage and create ways for women to take up leadership roles in churches. This showed that even those outside the targeted faith spaces can become strong allies for gender equality when they are properly engaged and supported.
- Kunzwana KwaVatendi, an Apostolic Church in ward 13 of Bikita District, Zimbabwe originally followed strict doctrines that barred women from preaching or holding leadership roles in mixed-gender settings citing biblical texts like 1 Timothy 2:12–13(“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor”). Women were only allowed to speak at women’s fellowship meetings and were required to confess sins to male leaders, which left many feeling exposed and disrespected. After attending a male engagement meeting, Bishop Mukanganwi recognized the need for change and advocated for gender-inclusive leadership. He introduced a female pastor selected for her confidence, literacy and preaching ability who now leads services, participates in decision-making and supports women’s issues with dignity. While the church has made progress, ongoing discussions continue around balancing merits and gender in leadership as the congregation grows. (Male Engagement Meeting October 2024)
Inner strength inspires women to lead.
As the CAs were conducting SASA! Faith sessions and RLs using sermon notes in different faith spaces enhanced women’s power within. Women started to develop a desire to take up leadership positions as well as creating environments and opportunities that allows them to lead.
- After participating in several sessions led by CAs women from Zion City Apostolic Church in Ward 21 of Bikita District took a bold step to challenge long-standing religious norms that had always excluded women in leadership. Motivated by the teachings on equality, dignity, justice and inclusion the women approached church leaders to request equal representation in decision-making structures. This courageous move led to restructuring of the church committee marking the first time in the church’s history that women were appointed to key leadership roles. Four women were successfully elected to the committee taking up positions as Chairperson, Treasurer, Vice Secretary and Committee Member. Their inclusion is a reflection that women can lead. The shift reshaped attitudes within the congregation fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment for all.
“Besides the church norm which was not allowing us as women to participate in decision making or in leadership, we did not have problem with our church being led by men only because we believed that maybe its biblical that men should lead us and as women, we should support by endorsing whatever men suggested. As women we did not have even confidence to take a lead or to share our opinions at decision making platforms, but we realized if we do not speak for ourselves who will?” (Committee Chairperson during CA Session Monitoring July 2025)
