Even when it comes to persecution of Christians by Islamic extremist groups, gender inequality is quite evident.
More Christian women suffer in the hands of terrorist groups compared to men, a new global survey conducted by the group Open Doors revealed. Open Doors calls itself "the world's largest outreach to persecuted Christians in the most high-risk places."
In an interview with The Catholic News Agency, Open Doors Communications Director Emily Fuentes said the persecution of Christian women come in many forms.
"There are numerous international incidents of women being kidnapped, raped, and forced to convert from Christianity to Islam by radical extremist groups like Boko Haram. Many are also sold on the open market," Fuentes said.
She added that Christian women are being abused by extremist groups not only in the Middle East but across the globe as well.
"This brutality is not only occurring in the Middle East but in Africa and in many other places," she said.
Fuentes attributed Christian women's vulnerability to persecution to their social status in nations where extremist groups are present.
"In many of these countries, women are subject to persecution because they are considered second-class citizens because of their gender," the Open Doors official explained.
"As minorities in both gender and faith, Christian women face double the persecution. Although we don't have an exact number, we know that millions of women are being persecuted," she added.
Fuentes further said that Christian women become targets for persecution because they tend to be "more outspoken and devoted to their faith than men."
"Unfortunately, they end up paying a price for it. Women are seen as valuing their faith and serving a God that is higher than the government and that is unacceptable to foreign governments," she explained.
According to the California-based group, the Islamic State (ISIS) has reportedly executed 250 girls over the past two years after they refused to become sex slaves. Aside from these, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 school girls in Chibok, Nigeria, most of whom are still missing at present.
More generally, Open Doors concluded that the level of violence against Christians globally has reached an all-time high, with numbers almost doubling every year.
Islamic extremism is the "primary driving factor" of Christian persecution in 35 out of the top 50 states, the group said.
