A new report by Open Doors has revealed that the nature of persecution varies, dependent upon a Christian’s gender.
The 2020 Gender-Specific Religious Persecution report found that Christian women face the hardest circumstances as forced marriages and sexual violence are widely used as tools for persecution.
The report stated, “gender-specific persecution affects men, women, boys and girls alike- no demographic is spared. Across these Christian communities, however, it is women and girls who typically face the hardest circumstances of all. In the most difficult countries in which to live as a Christian, women and girls experience persecution at its peak.”
According to the report, sexual violence has been listed in all researched countries, while 84% of the World Watch List top 50 countries cited forced marriage as a typical means of persecuting Christian women and girls.
These acts of persecution are used against Christian women across every region. In Asia, Christian women are often trafficked as “brides”; in the Arabian Peninsula, households quietly exploit Christian maids; in sub-Saharan Africa, militias regularly attack Christian villages, abducting women for a life of slavery.
The report uncovered a confronting reality for believers in the persecuted church as they consider the future of faith in their communities.
But there is hope. Open Doors is supporting women and girls in the most dangerous places to follow Christ, equipping them with the gospel, emergency relief, and community development.
Please continue to pray for our sisters in the persecuted church.
Pray For Women:
- Pray that women of the persecuted church will remain steadfast, finding rest and comfort in God’s promises.
- Pray for safety and protection over women persecuted for their faith.
- Pray that women all around the world will be strengthened to follow Jesus, no matter the cost.
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