Vol 9 Issue 1/2 2016 ISSN 2070-5484 Gender and international journal for religious freedom Religious Freedom International Journal for Religious Freedom (IJRF) Journal of the International Institute for Religious Freedom The IJRF aims to provide a platform for scholarly discourse on religious freedom and persecution. It is an interdisciplinary, international, peer reviewed journal, serving the dissemination of new research on religious freedom and contains research articles, documentation, book reviews, academic news and other relevant items. The editors welcome the submission of any contribution to the journal. Manuscripts submitted for publication are assessed by a panel of referees and the decision to publish is dependent on their reports. The IJRF is listed on the DoHET “Approved list of South African journals” and subscribes to the Code of Best Practice in Scholarly Journal Publishing, Editing and Peer Review of 2018 as well as the National Code of Best Practice in Editorial Discretion and Peer Review for South African Scholarly Journals and the supplementary Guidelines for Best Practice of the Forum of Editors of Academic Law Journals in South Africa. The IJRF is freely available online: www.iirf.eu, as a paid print subscription, and via SABINET. Editorial Committee Editors Prof Dr Christof Sauer, Cape Town, South Africa [email protected] Prof Dr Thomas Schirrmacher, Bonn, Germany Managing Editor Prof Dr Janet Epp Buckingham (LLD Stellenbosch University), Ottawa, Canada [email protected] Book Reviews Dr Werner Nicolaas Nel, Johannesburg, South Africa [email protected] Noteworthy vacant [email protected] Editorial Board Prof Dr P Coertzen, Stellenbosch, South Africa Prof Dr Dr J W Montgomery, Straßbourg, France Prof Dr R Velosso Ewell, Londrina, Brazil Rev P Netha, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Prof S A de Freitas, Bloemfontein, South Africa Prof Dr A Ojacor, Kampala, Uganda Prof Dr L Fernandez, Cape Town, South Africa Prof Dr B J G Reitsma, Amsterdam, Netherlands Prof Dr K Gnanakan, Shillong/Bangalore, India Prof Dr R Rothfuss, Tübingen, Germany Dr B Intan, Jakarta, Indonesia Prof Dr C Schirrmacher, Bonn, Germany Prof Dr T K Johnson, Prague, Czech Republic Prof Dr D L Stults, Oklahoma, USA Drs B Konutgan, Istanbul, Turkey Prof Dr J P J Theron †, Pretoria, South Africa Dr P Marshall, Washington DC, USA Subscriptions 2016 Annual subscription fee: Bank details SA Rand 300 Beneficiary: International Institute for Religious Freedom, VAT and postage included. Cape Town · Bank: Standard Bank · Branch: Sea Point See subscription form in the back. Branch Code: 02 41 09 · Account Number: 071 117 431 For international payments use: SWIFT Code: SBZAZAJJ http://iirfct.givengain.org IJRF · P.O. Box 1336 · Sun Valley 7985 · Rep South Africa (pay in Rand!) [email protected] International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF) of the World Evangelical Alliance Friedrichstr. 38 PO Box 1336 Galle Road, 2nd Floor Sun Valley 7985 Dehiwela, 01 10350 53111 Bonn Cape Town (Colombo) Germany South Africa Sri Lanka www.iirf.eu [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] International Journal for Religious Freedom Volume 9, Issue 1/2, 2016 ISSN 2070-5484 ISBN 978-3-86269-209-5 Articles and opinions published in IJRF do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, of IIRF or of the sponsors. © Copyright 2016 is with the individual authors or bodies mentioned in the respective items. Printed with permission. Acknowledgement of Sponsors We would like to thank the sponsors who supported the editing, printing and distribution of this issue of IJRF. Their views and opinions are not necessarily those of IIRF and vice versa. · Evangelical Lutheran Church in Württemberg, Germany www.elk-wue.de/landeskirche/international- information-en/ · Gebende Häude (Giving Hands), www.gebende-haende.de Subscribe to get IJRF via email (time delayed – 1 March; 1 September) ¾ To receive new issues of IJRF electronically on release, send an email to: [email protected] ¾ To receive an email notice about a new issue of IJRF available online, send an email to: [email protected] Note to librarians: IJRF is also available as an ePublication from Sabinet (www.sabinet.co.za). The first full volume of IJRF appeared in 2009. There was only one pilot issue in 2008. Typesetting: Ben Nimmo (Solid Ground), www.solidground.training Cover art: Aisha Photo credit: Open Doors International This is a self-portrait of Aisha, created during a workshop organized by Open Doors for healing from trauma. Aisha is a Nigerian who suffered sexual violence, at the hands of either militant Fulani herdsmen or the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. The Open Doors workshop seeks to affirm and empower women like Aisha. Incorporating local fabric, they experienced affirmation of their identity as Nigerian women and were also reminded of their value as daughters of God. For more details, see https://www. opendoorsca.org/tears-of-gold/. Contents International Journal for Religious Freedom Volume 9, Issue 1/2, 2016 ISSN 2070–5484 Editorial ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 In my opinion The journey to a Gender and Religious Freedom Network Emma Dipper ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 9 The restricted legal status of women: An inconvenience for Christian women or a vulnerability for the church? Olivia Jackson ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17 Articles “There is neither male nor female”: Theological reflection on Galatians 3:28 as a faith-based response to gender-specific persecution Samuel Oluwatosin Okanlawon �����������������������������������������������������������������������25 Assessing the specificity of the vulnerability of girls and women belonging to religious minorities: A methodological exploration Dennis P� Petri ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������35 Left behind: An analysis of the United Nations’ response to the intersecting identities of gender and religion Rebecca Symes ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������49 At the crossroads of freedom of religion and women’s equality rights: Some reflections from South Asia Saumya Uma ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 67 Strengthening resilience among women from Christian minorities: The Strength2Stand approach Rachel ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 81 Christian women facing persecution in India: A review and recommendations Jayakumar Ramachandran������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 91 Noteworthy ..................................................................................................... 107 Book Reviews ................................................................................................. 111 Guidelines for authors ...................................................................................... 119 Subscriptions....................................................................................................122 International Journal for Religious Freedom (IJRF) Journal of the International Institute for Religious Freedom ISSN 2070-5484 IJRF is published twice annually and aims to provide a platform for scholarly discourse on religious freedom in general and the persecution of Christians in particular. It is an interdisciplinary, international, peer reviewed journal, serving the dissemination of new research on religious freedom and contains research articles, documentation, book reviews, academic news and other relevant items. The editors welcome the submission of any contribution to the journal. Manuscripts submitted for publication are assessed by a panel of referees and the decision to publish is dependent on their reports. Editorial Committee Editors Prof Dr Thomas Schirrmacher, Bonn, Germany Prof Dr Christof Sauer, Cape Town, South Africa Managing Editor Prof Dr Janet Epp Buckingham, Ottawa, Canada Paid subscriptions 2016 Free electronic subscription (time delayed): Annual subscription fee • To receive new issues of IJRF electronically for 2 issues: on release (1 MB), send an email to: South African Rand 300 VAT and postage included [email protected] • To receive an email notice only about a new issue of IJRF available online, send an email to: [email protected] IJRF · P.O. Box 1336 · Sun Valley 7985 · Rep South Africa [email protected] www.iirf.eu Editorial 5 Editorial Special issue on gender and persecution Religious persecution is frequently gender-specific, impacting men and women dif- ferently. Grassroots research in countries such as Egypt and Pakistan in 2012 and 2013 showed that many women were experiencing double vulnerability not only due to their faith, but also as women. As a result, representatives of international charities who aid Christians facing persecution decided to form a steering group, bringing together non-governmental agencies, Christian ministries, and church leaders who were already seeking to address these issues.1 The first consultation was held in Marcham, near Oxford, UK in March 2016 with the topic of “Women and Persecution.” The practitioners and academics who participated in the