Persecution of religious minority women and girls

That this House celebrates International Women’s Day on Tuesday, 8 March, 2022; supports the UK’s commitment to promoting gender equality around the world; recognises that women from religious minorities face persecution and discrimination on account of both their faith and their gender; highlights particularly the cases of Christian women in Nigeria, Yazidi women in Iraq, and Hindu and Christian girls (forcibly converted and married) in Pakistan; calls on the Government to facilitate asylum for the Christian girl Maira Shahbaz, currently in hiding in Pakistan; urges the Government to intensify its efforts to ensure the safe release of Leah Sharibu, Alice Ngaddah and the Chibok girls in Nigeria; insists that gender-specific religious persecution is clearly recognised in FCDO policy and practice; recommends that the Government fund targeted programming for women facing double vulnerabilities as members of minority faith communities; and encourages the FCDO to work with local faith actors who can best respond to these experiences.