No more shame: why does the See. Change. campaign focus on persecuted Christian women? 

Open Doors’ See. Change. campaign seeks to ensure Christian women and girls across the world are seen, valued and empowered to fulfil their God-given potential. But why is this campaign even needed? Here we explain why millions of our sisters are acutely vulnerable to persecution for their faith and their gender, and how you can help them see change.

Batoul* from North Africa was so excited when her father became a Christian. It was not long afterwards that Batoul became a Christian herself and was baptised at 16. She assumed that her own conversion would mean very little to her mother and sisters, who had remained Muslims, but she was wrong. Her mother and sisters felt they couldn’t take their frustration and anger out on Batoul’s father for becoming a Christian, because he was the head of the family – but they could take it out on her. “To my misfortune, I paid the price for both my father’s conversion and my own,” she says. 

Her mother kept her away from church. Her sisters beat her and asked how much money she’d accepted to convert. “What price did they pay for your betrayal?” they demanded.  

“It was very hard for me to see my own mother – who should have been tender and close to me – instead persecuting me alongside my sisters,” Batoul says.  

Her story is just one of many. Across the world, millions of Christian women suffer not only because of their faith but also their gender. Their faith makes them targets, and their gender makes them particularly vulnerable. This persecution tends to be violent, complex and hidden from public view.  

Weaponising shame and violence against Christian women and girls  

One of the most documented and visible forms of persecution against women and girls is violence – be that sexual, physical or psychological. Sexual violence can, for example, involve Christian women being abducted by militants like Boko Haram and used as sex slaves, or it can be covert, under the guise of forced marriage. Given the ‘honour’ culture of many societies, sexual violence is often used to intentionally shame and stigmatise victims as well as their families and communities. This can result in a breakdown in relationships – for instance, parents no longer want to be associated with their daughter.   

One such country with an honour-shame culture is Bangladesh. Jorina was attacked by a group of women in her community – women she considered to be her neighbours and friends – after she became a Christian. They forced her to strip after they heard that Christians are ‘marked by the Holy Spirit’ (Ephesians 1:13) and believed they would find a literal mark. 

“I cried a lot in that room,” Jorina says. “After a while, they kicked me out and I returned home. When I got back, I didn’t share this with anyone. How could I? How was it even possible to talk about such a thing?” 

Thankfully, with the support of her church and local Open Doors partners, Jorina was able to open up about what happened to her and received emotional and spiritual care – but her story is just one example of how shame can debilitate women and stop them from asking for help, for fear of being shunned and ostracised.    

The threat of shame and stigma is a key reason why physical violence is also common against Christian women and girls. Women are attacked with impunity because victims often keep quiet for fear of the dishonour it will bring and poor legal frameworks mean wrongdoing often goes punished. This, in turn, makes women and girls increasingly vulnerable to psychological violence and many experience trauma for years after the persecution event itself.  

Compounding vulnerabilities make this a complex issue  

The persecution faced by millions of our sisters is complex because of the compounding effect one vulnerability has on another.   

Bhumika*, a widow in her early 60s from Nepal, really struggled when her sons threw her out of the house for her faith. “They verbally and mentally persecuted me,” she says. “They kept threatening me either to leave Jesus or leave the house, so I chose to leave the house.” With no family to help her or care for her, Bhumika – whose health is poor – struggled with everyday tasks like shopping.  

In Central Asia, Aisha* was dismayed when her Christian husband chose to renounce his faith when they were approached by a 500-strong mob. Aisha was forced to leave the village immediately with their four children. She had no idea where to go or how she was going to care for her family. But her faith remains strong. “I can see how God is taking care of me and my children,” she says. “He was faithful even when my husband was not. I don’t feel abandoned. I can see that my Heavenly Father protects me and provides all our needs. I have a huge family in Him so I can stand strong during difficult moments.” 

A hidden persecution   

The persecution of our sisters is often hidden – in society, in the home, and in the data. 

It often takes place behind the seeming respectability of everyday life. Forced marriage, sexual violence and house arrest all take place against the backdrop of normalised behaviour, with little to suggest anything untoward. Sara* from Iraq was imprisoned in her room without food by her father when he found out she’d become a Christian. After ten days, he told her that she was to marry her stepmother’s Muslim nephew in an attempt to ‘fix’ her.    

Even within Christian families, the effects of persecution can take their toll. Laila* (14) from Egypt became extremely isolated and struggled with her mental health after her whole family came to Christ. Her father’s Muslim family began to suspect that he had converted, so he had to relocate the whole family for their safety. Laila suddenly found herself cut off from her friends and extended family. Her father now no longer had any stable employment, so they had to learn to live with few resources. Laila had no one to turn to with her questions and worries – until local Open Doors partners came alongside her.  

And finally, while statistics and information are available to demonstrate how much our persecuted sisters are at risk, often this doesn’t tell the full story. Victims may hide details to protect their family. In turn, families may be reluctant to tell others for fear of reputational damage that could impact on social standing, work or access to communal resources. Men may be reluctant to give corroborative evidence because it implies that they’ve failed to protect their family. Furthermore, most government data collection methods do not show female-specific freedom of religion or belief violations; instead, they aggregate incidents against both genders.  

Will you help our sisters see change?  

In many cultures, women do not hold the same value as men. This undergirds much of the persecution faced by our sisters. And in many cases, being a Christian means they are regarded as having even less worth. Open Doors partners continue to support men and boys, as well as women and girls, and some persecution specifically targets male Christians – but the See.Change. campaign aims to get to the heart of hidden persecution that often shames and denigrates our Christian sisters. 

Open Doors’ vision is that every woman who is persecuted for her faith and gender is seen, valued and empowered to reach her God-given potential. This is the heart behind Open Doors’ See.Change. campaign, which seeks to raise support for our persecuted sisters and highlight their plight, not just among Christians, but also those in the corridors of power.   

Thanks to your prayers and support, Batoul, Jorina, Bhumika, Aisha, Sara and Laila have all received spiritual care and aid from local Open Doors partners. They now know their true value in Christ – and you have the power to make that truth known to more and more women who are counting the cost for their faith in Jesus.  

“I don’t feel lonely,” Batoul says, “but sometimes I still feel the pain! It’s through prayer that I can get through this. In all the sadness, I behold Christ in my life because when I remember that He’s with me, I feel joyous.”  

*Name changed for security reasons