International Women’s Day Release: Gender-Specific Religious Persecution and Insecurity
SANTA ANA, California, March 5, 2024 — In recognition of International Women’s Day, Open Doors releases this week its annual Gender Report—an analysis of gender-specific religious persecution (GSRP) featuring country rankings of the places where a woman’s faith and gender make her most vulnerable to persecution and discrimination.
Compiled by Open Doors’ global research team, the 2024 Gender Report gives insight into the different types and degrees of persecution that Christian women face around the world, highlighting marginalization, oppression and violence for both their gender and identity in Christ.
While the annual World Watch List (WWL) reveals the top 50 most dangerous countries for all Christians, the GSRP country rankings show where Christians are most vulnerable to persecution and discrimination based on their gender. An example in this year’s report is that faith-based forced marriage was identified as a risk for Christian women and girls in a staggering 84% of the 50 countries on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List.
“Today, more than 365 million people face real persecution and discrimination— unimaginable horrors every day—for following Jesus,” shares Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown. “And so many of these faithful followers are courageous women—wives, mothers, sisters and daughters—choosing this difficult path, choosing to stay true to the gospel, despite increased oppression and brutalities.”
Globally, Christian women and girls often find themselves caught in complex webs of compounding vulnerabilities—not only at higher risk as Christians living in WWL countries, but also at increased risk of persecution and discrimination because they are women living in contexts of violent insecurity. The decision to follow Jesus adds yet another layer of vulnerability.
The Gender Report notes that where Christian persecution is already prevalent, situations with high levels of violence can create further opportunities for targeting Christian women. While no setting is ever completely secure and safe, this year’s report reveals that 21 of the countries on the WWL suffer from situations of violent insecurity—and includes an in-depth dive into the Top 5 pressure points for female Christians across WWL countries:
1. Forced marriage
2. Sexual violence
3. Physical violence
4. Psychological violence
5. Abduction
“As these courageous women face increased persecution, we are witnessing their undying faith in Jesus all the more,” says Open Doors US COO Sarah Cunningham. “Although widely without a voice and basic human rights, they serve an incomparable purpose in the Kingdom of God—shining a light for Christ in their families and communities and showing us all what real faith looks like.”
Editor’s Note: Members of the media who wish to cover the release of Open Doors’ 2024 Gender Report should contact Melany Ethridge at melany@alarryross.com. More information and Open Doors’ 2024 GSRP Gender Report is available online at this link: https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/getinvolved/resources/2024-gender-report.
About Open Doors US
Founded in 1955 by Brother Andrew—author of the international bestseller God’s Smuggler—Open Doors serves persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries, and is known for its annual World Watch List report, ranking the top 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution and discrimination for their faith. Open Doors US is one of 25 global bases for Open Doors International (ODI). Ryan Brown serves as Open Doors US president and CEO.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
melany@alarryross.com
972-267-1111