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This chapter explores how the polarization around religion and gender that plays out in contemporary international politics affects international development. It is that game changers in the context of polarization cannot be found by focusing on the loudest voices. The chapter explores the work of actors that are situated in the middle: religious feminists and religious development NGOs, in terms of how these actors navigate the polarization around religion and gender. It will conclude that rather than allowing the polarization in international politics to influence what happens at the grassroots, international development actors are uniquely equipped to depolarize by building networks and alliances in the middle that offer more inclusive language and approaches to promote gender equality and challenge gender-based violence. The chapter reflects on challenges and potential pitfalls of religious feminist and religious NGO approaches in their efforts to realize gender equality as part of their religious missions.

This chapter explores how the polarization around religion and gender that plays out in contemporary international politics affects international development. It is that game changers in the context of polarization cannot be found by focusing on the loudest voices. The chapter explores the work of actors that are situated in the middle: religious feminists and religious development NGOs, in terms of how these actors navigate the polarization around religion and gender. It will conclude that rather than allowing the polarization in international politics to influence what happens at the grassroots, international development actors are uniquely equipped to depolarize by building networks and alliances in the middle that offer more inclusive language and approaches to promote gender equality and challenge gender-based violence. The chapter reflects on challenges and potential pitfalls of religious feminist and religious NGO approaches in their efforts to realize gender equality as part of their religious missions.

This article examines the intersection of religious faith and the ‘fight against modern slavery’ in the UK, as yet unexplored in sociological literature. Analysis of faith based organisations’ (FBOs) activities in this area challenges understandings of a postsecular rapprochement between faith and secular actors - where postsecular is used by some scholars to refer to the re-emergence of faith in the public sphere, and where we understand rapprochement to mean the placing of equal value on faith-based and secular worldviews. Our research reveals that FBOs in the anti-trafficking/modern slavery third sector operate on a ‘dual register’, secularising as they professionalise their public face, while retaining religious distinctiveness when engaging with co-religionists. We argue that, rather than evidence of a genuine two way postsecular rapprochement, it seems that FBOs in this sector are prioritising secular modalities, meaning the learning process is one-sided rather than complementary.

This article examines the intersection of religious faith and the ‘fight against modern slavery’ in the UK, as yet unexplored in sociological literature. Analysis of faith based organisations’ (FBOs) activities in this area challenges understandings of a postsecular rapprochement between faith and secular actors - where postsecular is used by some scholars to refer to the re-emergence of faith in the public sphere, and where we understand rapprochement to mean the placing of equal value on faith-based and secular worldviews. Our research reveals that FBOs in the anti-trafficking/modern slavery third sector operate on a ‘dual register’, secularising as they professionalise their public face, while retaining religious distinctiveness when engaging with co-religionists. We argue that, rather than evidence of a genuine two way postsecular rapprochement, it seems that FBOs in this sector are prioritising secular modalities, meaning the learning process is one-sided rather than complementary.