The Red Chair Project: How to take a stand against gender-based violence

Liz Hall calls us all to engage with the Red Chair Project this month.

The United Nations’ annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begin on 25 November – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It runs until 10 December – Human Rights Day.

The reality is that violence against women and girls – including domestic abuse, which predominantly affects women – can happen anywhere and it breaks God’s heart. He wants our relationships to be based on his love, not on control, fear and abuse. Scripture reminds us that we fully experience his love as we love and are truly loved by others (see 1 John 4:7–21).

Among the territory’s mission priorities are calls to seek justice and reconciliation, serve others without discrimination and care for creation, and they all give us a biblical imperative to respond to this terrible injustice.

We can’t all be specialists in supporting victims and survivors of abuse, but we can all play an active part in responding where we are through the Red Chair Project.

The project involves highlighting an empty chair by draping it in red fabric, together with information defining abuse and violence against women. This empty chair is then symbolic of the many women who’ve been killed through gender-based violence – women who would otherwise still be with us today. The chair can be put wherever it will be noticed: in your corps, outside your hall, at a local café, your charity shop or even, after asking permission, a public space such as a park bench.

The charity Restored, with whom The Salvation Army is officially partnered, has created a resource pack that contains everything required to get involved in the project – you just need to find a chair. Using red fabric to cover it is a powerful visual sign, but displaying a sign on the chair and making sure it is left empty will still have impact.

Your corps might also want to explore becoming a Restored Beacon, part of a network of churches that never tolerate abuse and provide a safe refuge for and journey with survivors as they recover. They demonstrate God’s deep love by working towards enabling worship services, halls and activities to be recognised as safer spaces.

A number of corps are already registered as Restored Beacon churches, including Ballymoney, Limavady, Sale and Stroud. You can find out more at restored-uk.org.

For encouragement, help, advice and a listening ear, you can get in touch with the Family Ministries Department by emailing familyministries@salvationarmy.org.uk or on Facebook. Why not share a photo of your Red Chair on social media, tagging Family Ministries, encouraging others to take part?

Reflect and respond

• Talk about the Red Chair Project with your corps and community.
• Download the Red Chair Project Support Pack.
• Reflect on God’s love and how you live it out in 1 John 4:7–21 and 1 Corinthians 13.
• Pray for those enduring grief and anxiety as a result of gender-based violence.
• Pray for wisdom to know how to respond and the courage to act.