Faith Matters – Driving Inclusive Development in Fragile Contexts

Exploring how faith-based collaboration transforms outcomes for children and women in fragile contexts.

In fragile and conflict-affected settings, children and women often bear the brunt of overlapping crises: hunger, poverty, and violence collide to create unimaginable hardship. Yet, it is in these very contexts that faith actors frequently emerge as the most effective responders. Why? Because trust, presence, and deeply embedded community roots enable them to act swiftly where others falter.

This reality was the focus of the “Faith Matters: Driving Inclusive Development in Fragile and Hard-to-Reach Contexts through Faith-Based Collaboration” panel, co-hosted by World Vision International, Catholic Relief Services, Hararghe Catholic Secretariat, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Held during the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings Civil Society Policy Forum in October 2025, the session was moderated by Dr Jean Baptiste Kamate, World Vision’s Chief Field Operations Officer. Experts from the World Bank, Catholic Relief Services, Islamic Relief Worldwide and the Hararghe Catholic Secretariat shared insights on how faith-based organisations (FBOs), operating across the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus, contribute to inclusive development, empower women, and advance child wellbeing.

Why Faith Matters for Children and Women’s Well-Being

Faith-based actors are uniquely positioned to reach children in the hardest-to-access places. Moral authority, cultural relevance, and deep community networks allow them to challenge harmful practices, promote reconciliation, and deliver vital services where formal systems fall short.

As Dr Jean-Baptiste Kamate reminded the audience, over 75% of the global population identifies with a religion. “Faith is not peripheral; it shapes values, decisions, and how people see themselves, their families and their communities,” he said. “When we asked children what gives them hope, they spoke of compassion, resilience and personal faith. These are not just sentiments; they are survival tools.”

The Testament of Faith-Based Approaches

Speakers shared compelling examples of how faith-rooted approaches are transforming outcomes for children.

Bill O’Keefe of Catholic Relief Services emphasised that faith traditions recognise the dignity of every person and provide a framework for inclusive development and humanitarian response. Faith organisations possess extensive networks, long-term commitment and cultural credibility, he noted, which enables them to reach communities often overlooked by governments or markets. During the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, for example, religious leaders helped adapt burial practices to be both safe and culturally respectful. Bill also highlighted the evolving development landscape, noting that institutions such as the World Bank increasingly recognise FBOs as essential partners for delivery and impact.

Bizuayehu Abayneh of the Hararghe Catholic Secretariat described participatory, faith-based programmes in Ethiopia, including women-led water committees and couples-based curricula, that have promoted shared household decision-making and responsibilities and improved child nutrition, education and protection. By engaging religious leaders and role model couples, these initiatives foster trust and drive community-led change. Although communities face deep poverty and food insecurity, stressors that can strain households, HCS’s decades of trust, staff diversity, and close work with local leaders make their programmes inclusive and sustainable. Partnerships remain critical, with collaboration across village savings groups, youth groups and community leaders ensuring resilience.

Najah Almugahed of Islamic Relief Worldwide highlighted Community Hope Action Teams (CHATs), adapted from World Vision’s Channels of Hope methodology. Active in countries including Mali, Malawi, South Sudan and Ethiopia, CHATs use faith-sensitive messaging to address gender-based violence, child marriage and harmful traditional practices. Deeply embedded within local structures, CHATs’ community-led approach delivers measurable results: in Ethiopia’s Liben Zone, child marriage reduced by 37% and FGM/C by 25% between 2021 and 2023, underscoring the power of culturally grounded protection strategies.

Cara Santos Pianesi, Faith Lead at the World Bank, observed that while the Bank itself is not faith-based, fragile contexts demand partnerships with FBOs, whose proximity, credibility, and access to communities are invaluable. Grounding her remarks in the Bank’s vision of “a world free of poverty on a liveable planet,” she reflected on the synergies between personal faith and Catholic teachings on care for the poor and creation. She emphasised that FBOs are not just partners; they are custodians of norms and values, giving them unparalleled influence as agents of social change.

Turning Recognition into Action

The consensus was clear: recognition alone is insufficient. Faith actors must be engaged early, intentionally and sustainably. Policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and programme design must integrate faith-based approaches, particularly for interventions targeting children and women.

To be truly effective, this requires:

• Supporting evidence-based, faith-rooted models that improve women’s empowerment  and children’s well-being
• Funding long-term, community-led initiatives that build resilience
• Engaging faith leaders as co-creators and equal partners to advocate for protection, education and equity
• Recognising faith actors as strategic partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Although some may contend that faith-based approaches risk imposing ideology, evidence shows that, in practice, these initiatives deliver measurable social and developmental outcomes. Rarely has an approach combined moral authority, community trust and operational reach so effectively.

A Call to Action

If we are serious about inclusive development, we must invest in faith-based collaboration. In the world’s hardest places, partnerships grounded in faith are not optional, they are indispensable for ensuring the needs of children and women are met.

Faith matters. And in the world’s hardest places, building partnerships based on faith remains critical to ensuring the well-being of women and children.

A joint Opinion Piece by: World Vision, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Hararghe Catholic Secretariat and Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.