In this edition of Faith Talks, host Jennifer R. Farmer sits down with writer, speaker, and cultural strategist Ashanti Bentil-Dhue, founder of Unpunishable Woman and creator of the Invisible Contract Framework, original research on the unwritten rules that shape how women live, work, and relate.
Together they explore:
- How marriage functions as an "invisible contract," and what single women of faith experience in church and community
- What young women are (and aren't) taught about sexuality, consent, and bodily autonomy
- Why faith communities must distinguish healthy, consensual sex from sexual trauma, and why prayer alone isn't an adequate response
- Why modesty conversations can't be treated as protection from predators
- How parents, aunties, and trusted adults can start age-appropriate, ongoing conversations that build real safety
- How to hold faith and honest self-examination together, without choosing between them
Content note: this conversation includes discussion of sexual trauma. Jennifer opens with an invitation to care for yourself in whatever way you need, including stepping away and returning later.
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This content was originally published by United Women in Faith; republished with permission by ResourceUMC on October 2, 2026.