HELPING WOMEN STANDUP TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION

ACN is now supporting a social course aimed at empowering Christian women living in these extremely difficult circumstances. Many of the women involved in this guidance course are students or domestic workers in the suburban areas of large Pakistani cities.

One of these young women is ‘Samia’ (name changed). She lives in the north of Pakistan with her parents and brothers. “We live in a state of anxiety and constant pressure. We believe that if we do try to defend our rights, we will be accused of blasphemy or some other charge, based on false accusations, as has already occurred in the past,” she explains.

If a Christian woman is alleged to have blasphemed against the Koran or the Prophet, she requires four witnesses to equal that of the male accuser.

Another area where women suffer grievously is sexual violence against religious minorities. Of note is the abduction, rape, forced marriage and forced conversion of principally young Christian and Hindu girls and women in countries such as Pakistan and Nigeria, among others. This is a terrible weapon not only to dishearten the community but also in some way serves to reduce the numbers of that minority faith group - as evidently girls who are forcibly married and converted no longer contribute to the normal population developments of that minority faith group.

“Thanks to my involvement in the women’s advancement course sponsored by ACN, I have found myself strengthened in my Faith. They are helping us to be more aware of our responsibilities and our rights. They are encouraging us to stand strong and fight against discrimination and forced conversion, harassment, and violence, and to defend our equal rights,” says Samia. Nasreen, another participant, said: “I am so grateful to ACN for having been the source of such a great change in my life. Now, the candle of my Faith is lighting my path and I will not let it be extinguished by any kind of discrimination in future.”