Religious leaders play a vital role in guiding, inspiring, and directing people. Since they are seen as intercessors to God, they are held in immense respect and people look at them for guidance and direction in all aspects of their lives. Religious leaders have varying degrees of spiritual meaning in different religions, but almost all are seen as the central guiding force for their communities of faith.

As trusted figures within their communities, religious leaders are uniquely positioned to promote the wellbeing of women, support their development, and speak out against practices such as female genital mutilation, abuse, neglect, and shame.

- Yazidi spiritual leader, Baba Sheikh. A great example of the crucial role religious leaders play in society and in empowering women from minority communities is the initiative led by the Yazidi spiritual leader, Baba Sheikh. After ISIS kidnapped and forced more than 3,000 Yazidi women and girls into sexual slavery, Yazidi spiritual leader Khurto Hajji Ismail, known as Baba Sheikh, issued an edict supporting survivors. In the edict, he told families and communities to accept and reintegrate rape survivors, especially those who had escaped from captivity where they were forced to convert to Islam—a previously unpardonable sin in the Yazidi religion. Women and girls were no longer shunned; rather they were welcomed back. The first group of women who escaped captivity in August 2014 sat down with Baba Sheikh, who personally welcomed them back into the faith, assuring their families that they were still Yazidi. Ekhlas Bajoo, an ISIS survivor of sexual violence, has several times highlighted the crucial role Baba Sheikh played in her healing process by encouraging her community to support her.

- The Declaration of Humanity by Leaders of Faith and Leaders of Belief. The Declaration of Humanity launched in November 2020 and was signed by religious and secular leaders from all over the world. It acknowledged the double vulnerability that women of religious minorities face. The Declaration encourages faith leaders to condemn stigma, discrimination, and conflict-related sexual violence by redefining the understanding of rape and sexual violence and affirming the innocence of survivors, as well as the need to fully honor and accept them. It acknowledges the role faith plays in a survivor’s resilience, bravery, and even escape. It also puts action to words and commits signatories to do everything in our power to both affirmatively prevent CRSV and to support survivors afterwards. This Declaration is the greatest tool to show perpetrators that they are failing in their mission to destroy religious minority groups. For Ekhlas Bajoo, a Yazidi survivor of ISIS slavery, the Declaration of Humanity changed her life by shaping the attitude of her community. The Declaration continues to serve as a model for future initiatives by both secular governmets and other religious leaders.

- Malama Ouani is preaching for women’s rights in Niger. Malama Ouani, a female Islamic preacher, uses faith education to uphold women’s rights. Ouani frequently holds meetings with women about Islam that include a broad catalog of topics, including domestic violence, health care, and women’s empowerment. She preaches that domestic violence is forbidden in Islam since husbands are required to uphold the health, dignity, and rights of their wives. Her lessons about health often veer into broader discussions about women’s and girls’ rights: when women express their difficulties visiting health facilities and getting quality care because most healthcare staff are male, Ouani talks about the importance of girls’ education: “if you want your daughters to avoid this fate, then keep them in school. They will be more likely to become gynecologists, midwives or nurses”. Female religious leaders like her play a crucial role in their communities. They are a guide for their adherents as men have traditionally been, but also a great companion for women in the fight for women’s rights and equality. They offer a different perspective about life and society, and they understand and reflect women's own lived experiences. They give women’s perspectives and concerns more visibility, which helps create a more just society. They also serve as an example for future generations on the equal role that women and men hold in leadership.

- Pope Francis carried a message of tolerance and coexistence during his visit to Iraq in March 2021. During his visit, he sent a message encouraging taking steps to protect and support the flourishing of Iraq’s diverse religious minority communities, including women.

1. Send messages of peace, tolerance, acceptance, and mutual respect by holding meetings with the members of your community promoting the dignity of women and pushing for equality. These conversations may be uncomfortable but ultimately lead to growth for the entire faith community.

2. Hold interfaith dialogue and inter-religious activities with other religious leaders to dispel prejudices. This helps to overcome misunderstandings, foster deep and meaningful relationships, and can even dismantle harmful but common interpretations of religious texts.

3. Give women a platform in the community to share their points of view and share suggestions and input on how to improve their community. Visibility within their own communities is critical for women of faith or belief to achieve true equality.

4. Serve as a bridge between women and local authorities. Give women a platform to share their points of view and experiences with local secular authorities to create new services, offer broader access to services, and take women seriously as stakeholders.

5. Encourage and support the women who want to be leaders in your faith. Women, in any sphere of society, offer different points of view and enrich the faith community as a whole. Female religious leaders tend to better understand the situation of women, giving women’s concerns and desires more visibility and serving as an important resource for women of their faith. They become role models for future generations of women and drive religious progress.

6. Promote girls’ education. When girls attend school, child and forced marriages decrease, domestic violence is reduced, and women have better access to meaningful work. This decreases poverty and helps society to thrive. A study using data from 219 countries collected between 1970 and 2009 found that for each additional year of education for women of reproductive age, infant mortality decreased by 9.5%. Education is one of the most powerful tools for the advancement of women.

7. Publicly prevent and counter discrimination, stigma, and violence against women of faith and belief by:

a. Send messages about women's inherent dignitiy and equality, and the ripple effect of benefits for women, men, and society as a whole;

b. Condemn and advocate against gender-based violence: fight against the stigma around it, the negative consequences it produces in the household and by extension the community, and combat the idea of preventing survivors from rejoining the community;

c. Offer tools for conflict resolution and do not allow tensions to escalate, immediately responding when incitement occurs;

d. Promote a “healing memory” approach to gender-based violence. You can do this by welcoming survivors to return to their communities, and encouraging communities to re-accept and reintegrate them;

e. Dismantle harmful, gendered interpretations of religious texts.

8. Engage with State authorities by:

a. Advocating for reforms to remedy gender discrimination enshrined in laws;

b. Promoting or contributing to the drafting of legislation that protects women and people from minority groups, and that offers equal protection between men and women;

c. Working to ensure that States demonstrate respect for all religions and do not discriminate against minority ones.

Governments are essential actors in protecting human rights. Since they wield executive and legislative power to draw the lines that society follows, they are an important ally for women’s equality, including for women of faith and belief.

Moreover, when men and women from different religions peacefully coexist in a community, it fosters respect and adds unique perspectives to society, helping the entire country grow. Conversely, countries with low respect for FoRB tend to have higher discriminatory practices towards women and have a higher risk of corruption.

Not only do human rights advance with an active, engaged government, the promotion of human rights helps governments. Enumerated human rights and principles serve as a guide for good action, instructing the correct development of legislative frameworks, policies, and other measures. Hence, human rights provide authorities with values that can orientate them to build more just and empowered societies.

- The United Kingdom has taken the lead in intersecting the efforts on FoRB and preventing sexual violence in conflicts. The UK is doing this by hosting round tables and creating historical movements such as the Declaration of Humanity by Leaders of Faith and Leaders of Belief. The Declaration acknowledges the power that religion has in supporting women victims of sexual violence and their families. It also highlights the double vulnerability of women that come from religious minorities and the need to understand the needs and experience of survivors. In addition, it emphasizes the necessity of victim reintegration into their community to allow the religious and ethnic minorities to heal and thrive.

- Canada taking measures to include women from minority religions as government officials and in society. Toronto, in 2011, and Montreal, in 2018, approved the wearing of religious symbols such as the hijab in the police force to attract ethnically diverse women. In June 2018, Quebec Superior Court overruled a law banning individuals from wearing religious face coverings when providing or receiving government services. The court ruled that implementation of the law would cause “irreparable harm to Muslim women.”

- The Bahrain model of peaceful coexistence is the key to combating prejudices, discrimination, fear, and ignorance. Bahrain's constitution imposes no restrictions on people following religions. It provides the right to choose, change or practice a religion of choice as well as to display symbols of any religion. It allows freedom of worship, conscience, performing religious rites, and holding religious parades. Christians in Bahrain enjoy a distinguished status compared to other Muslim countries as they have the possibility to work in the public sector and are treated with respect. In 2020, Bahrain signed a commitment to a future in which people from all faiths and beliefs can live together peacefully and a memorandum to combat antisemitism. It also established nurseries where women could leave their children while in class and started offering appropriate transportation, an excellent example of practical assistance that governments are best placed to provide.

- The Government of Malawi introduced several measures to encourage girls and women's education regardless of their race, religion, and social status. The aim of these measures was to help against women's poverty and to empower every woman. To do this, in 1972, Malawi's Government introduced quotas for girls' education in high schools, reserving a third of the places in mixed-sex governments' schools. At the University of Malawi, they implemented a scholarship and a masters' program for women, and counseling was offered for girls who opted for nontraditional areas. The government also introduced a preferential selection of females to enter the university from the late 1980s.

- Countries establishing quotas for women in Congress. Countries such as Mexico, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Italy, Tanzania, Eritrea, and France, have implemented gender quotas as a measure that aims to guarantee a high proportion of women in Congress or parliament. This way, governments ensure that women are not marginalized from the political life of the country in question and that women coming from different faiths and religions also have a say in society.

- Several countries around the world have implemented helplines and shelters for women victims of domestic violence. Women can call the helplines to receive support and advice and go to the shelters to get temporary protection. Anywhere in the world, women are victims of domestic and sexual violence, specifically women belonging to minority groups. It is essential, apart from fighting against discrimination and violence, to allocate resources so women can receive support and, if needed, get shelter.

- In The Netherlands, the government has taken measures to update the National Anti-Discrimination Action Programme to make it more religious-freedom friendly. The police are receiving training to avoid ethnic and racial profiling. A manual called the 'safe mosque' created in consultation with Islamic organizations provides an outline of steps to help ensure a secure religious environment. The government has also consulted soccer associations, local authorities, and police officials to counter antisemitic behavior during soccer matches and elsewhere in steps to protect religious freedom and people from minority communities in the Netherlands.

1. Contribute to creating a safer society for women of faith or belief. We need women, especially those who belong to minority religious groups to feel safe so they can go to school, work, travel, and do their daily tasks without fear of harm or persecution.:

a. Officially Acknowledge that women of minority faith or belief are more likely to suffer discrimination and violence, especially in times of conflict or post-conflict;

b. Develop programs to train local authorities, such as the police, to ensure safe mobility of women, and programs on gender violence that contribute to eliminating stereotypical attitudes;

c. Engage in public campaigns so girls and boys, women and men learn the importance of avoiding violence and abuse;

d. Ensure equal access to basic services such as health care.

2. Fight women’s discrimination, and the double discrimination that women of faith or belief suffer through laws against domestic violence and sexual harassment, which apply equally regardless of religion and remove any exemptions for “traditional” gender-based violence such as female genital mutilation. Here, it is important for governments to find the line between protecting women’s voluntary religious expression and providing legal processes for women who do not wish to be subject to certain practices.

3. Encourage girls’ education and fund education initiatives for girls. When girls attend school, child and forced marriage decreases, they have better access to dignified work. All this guarantees a decent life for themselves, their children, and their families. When women’s dignity is protected and encouraged, women's discrimination and domestic violence reduce, leading to healthier and stronger communities. This in turn decreases poverty and helps society to thrive. For each additional year of education for women of reproductive age, it has been proven that infant mortality decreases by 9.5%, creating healthier and more stable societies.

4. Gather good, reliable data on women’s issues including women who are underrepresented because they belong to minority groups. When you are collecting data about your citizens’ demographics, political beliefs, physical conditions, or any other important measure, collect information specific to women and give them a platform to share their experiences and to make suggestions on how to improve their community.

5. Include women and women of faith or belief in local decision-making processes. By helping to establish a more inclusive society, women's participation reduces the possibility of blind spots, inertia, and mistakes caused by conscious and unconscious biases.

6. Take measures to make women visible in all spheres of society, from media to professional organizations. Promote children's cartoons, movies, and music that features women. Showcase women who are doctors, religious leaders, and who hold leadership positions. By making women and women from minority groups visible, society normalizes that they can hold any position in it. It eliminates stereotypes and encourages future generations of women to choose positions in society previously reserved for men.

7. Offer equal protection under the law, so any woman and girl, regardless of their religion, are equal to boys and men, and make sure they are followed. These laws offer girls the opportunity to go to school; they give women the chance to open a bank account and start a new business or inherit property. Equal laws are also extremely important to ensure that there is no impunity when a girl or a woman suffers a crime.

8. Respect people who practice different religions by:

a. Eliminating laws that regulate religious practices, belief, or disbelief and that legitimate discriminating on religious grounds such as reprisals for women who do not follow a certain dress code;

b. Creating laws that protect and support minority religious communities. The law should only be used to regulate and promote rights and peaceful coexistence. It should only intervene in religious affairs when religion is used to harm others, not to dictate people’s private religious expressions;

c. Discouraging society and individuals to punish people from minority faith communities. The inexistence of laws regulating religious practices does not mean that minority faith communities will be treated with respect. Governments need to be proactive and work against their citizens discriminating against individuals, and especially women from minority religious and faith groups;

d. Encouraging literacy in religion so members of the different groups can understand their different practices and perspectives, making it possible for society to coexist peacefully.

9. Include gender quotas in the workforce. Boosting the gender share in companies has a significant and positive impact on company results. The top 500 of the most important companies in the world revealed a fact: the 25 companies that made improvements in gender equality, increased their income statement by 16% to 68%.

10. Encourage women and women from minority groups to work in the public sector, including in political office and the government. Fewer than 5% of the world’s mayors are women, reducing the chances that women’s views and ideas are seen and taken into consideration. When women occupy important positions in politics, their unique perspectives advance a more just society for all. Female politicians also serve as an example for future generations on the equal role that women and men can play in society and the benefits that come from it.

11. Encourage women to pursue equal and influential careers, including becoming teachers. Female teachers play a vital role in ensuring that young women have the same learning opportunities as young men. Girls are more likely to feel comfortable and safe in the classroom when they receive support and guidance from female supervisors. Increasing the female workforce of teachers and increasing the number of female teachers practicing different religions can be a turning point, allowing education to reach more girls, breaking cycles of poverty and improving their future life prospects.

The media plays a primary role in society. It creates the perception of society and the world. It provides models, normalizes patterns of behavior, and legitimizes social order. Media has a great power to shape society in perpetuating behaviors or in offering new alternatives. With that power, the media must reflect not only the current social reality but emphasize the ways in which men and women must have equality and exercise their faith or belief.

However, in 1978 a study on the relationship between women and the media, pointed out that the media did not reflect reality: while women constituted 40% of the workforce in the United States, the media only presented them as mothers, objects, or as girls in need of protection. But this is not the case just in the United States: all over the world, the media tends to perpetuate gender stereotypes or continues to reproduce an old-world view. In fact, the United Nations at the end of the last century recognized the crucial role of the media in changing gender stereotypes.

The media also under-represents women of faith and belief, contributing to the distancing of people living in the same country, and making their situation invisible to society.

The media is a source of entertainment but also of education. By showing content in which women and men are equal, and have equal access to opportunities, gender and religious stereotypes slowly fade, and women of faith are empowered.

Influencers have a major influence in societies across the globe due to technology. They have an extraordinary power to reach people anywhere in the world and shape their ideas and behaviors. Especially since most of their audience are young people whose moral values are still being formed, influencers play an important role: they can prevent oppression and create a new reality for women of faith and belief.

Influencers:

- Angelina Jolie co-chairing the first Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in the conflict in London in 2014. During this summit, she drew attention to the sexual abuse of women in war, specifically standing for women of religious minority communities and the more severe oppression they suffer.

- Nadia Murad, who was an ISIS sexual slave due to her double vulnerability, founded her initiative to advocate for Yazidi survivors of sexual violence and make it possible for the Yazidi community to receive tangible support. Since Nadia's initiative was founded in 2018, it has launched over 50 projects related to healthcare, education, and women's empowerment, especially for minority faith communities.

- Ekhlas Bajoo, a survivor of ISIS captivity for her belonging in the Yazidi minority group, has participated in several meetings in international organizations and conferences raising awareness of the discrimination and violence that women from minority religious groups suffer and advocating for an end to sexual violence and religious discrimination.

- Leesa A, a Saudi Arabian Rapper, made a music video clip advocating for Women's right to drive while attaching to her religious faith. In June 2018, the law allowing women to drive entered into force.

- The song "Prayer of the Mothers." In the song, the famous Israelian singer, Yael Deckelbaum, asks for a world without war and conflict and for an end to the Israelian-Palestine conflict. In this way, she advocates for the protection of everyone's rights, particularly women's rights, who tend to suffer more discrimination regardless of their religion.

Media:

- Pope Francis carrying a message of tolerance and coexistence during his visit to Iraq in March 2021. During his visit, he sent a message encouraging taking steps to protect and support the flourishing of Iraq's diverse religious minority communities, including women who face a higher risk for their intersecting identities.

- The Healing Channel in the Egyptian TV directed by Yvette Isaac, aims at eliminating the discrimination that Christians suffer in the Middle East, advocates for the protection of women of minority religious groups and proposes solutions and recommendations.

- BBC Expert Woman. BBC launched its “Expert Woman” program looking for female experts to appear on-air tackling disparity between male and female experts. The idea came since male experts outnumbered female experts by almost four-to-one at the BBC. It also offers girls who are the future generations of women to have female role models and see that anything they dream of becoming is possible.

- In Georgia, some men are shifting ideas about fatherhood and are sharing the house chores and the raise of children with their wives. A TV show produced with UNFPA and broadcasted in Georgia is promoting ideas of gender equality, in the home and outside. The TV show follows a father spending the day with his kids – getting them ready, changing diapers, making lunch- without the help of his wife, normalizing fathers as equally active parents.

- Italian campaign showing the absurdity of violence against women, 2015. Filmmakers made a clip showing how violence against women is a learned behavior that can be challenged and changed.

1. Increase the number of women who appear in the media. One of the most important things to empower women is to make them visible. Make them more visible, give voice to their desires, concerns, problems, and dreams. The media should reserve half of its time for women since they comprise half of the world’s population.

2. Give women of minority communities a platform and a voice. Women from minority groups also want to be visible. Show how they positively contribute to society and help increase their acceptance and foster an understanding between people from different religions. Programming that is aimed primarily at women or promotes women’s initiatives will help to create this bridge.

3. Change the content of the message. Men continue to be defined by their professional status, associated with the public sphere. However, almost always women appear linked to their family, to private and domestic spheres. Change the content of the message so it reflects the reality of women’s lives and their contribution to society.

4. Go beyond reflecting reality. Promote the visibility of women of faith or belief who occupy different places and positions in society. This way the community will normalize working women and female leaders. The new generation of girls will have role models to look up to.

5. Initiate campaigns or programs led by women with female participants on topics they want to raise awareness of, so they gain visibility and feel more represented in society. Allow these participants to speak freely.

6. Be attentive to the type of language used to describe men and women. Try to achieve an egalitarian language so that there is equality in the way the media is speaking of women and men. Media tends to portray women negatively more often than men perpetuating stereotypes, especially when a woman does not fit a narrow stereotypical mold of that society.

7. Increase the number of women in the management and direction of the media, as well as in the construction of content. There is evidence that organizations with a more balanced representation of women in decision-making bodies can achieve better economic, social, and financial results. The improvement in organizations’ results increases when there is religious diversity in the workforce. Look and find women of faith and belief to join you.

Working towards achieving a diverse workforce should be one of the main goals of employers. When a company only hires people from certain backgrounds, leaving out sectors of the population, this has negative effects on the benefits of the company. Organizations need to employ people from all social backgrounds, religions, gender, age, etc., so the workforce is more representative of the clients, and that creates a workplace in which everyone belongs to.

For this to happen, it is essential that every person is treated with dignity so they develop a sense of belonging and look for ways to benefit the company.

When workers feel safe to show who they are and freely express their opinions, it creates a healthy work culture in which everyone feels encouraged to participate. They offer new ideas, foster innovation, and broaden the customers’ base.

- Google is committed to creating a diverse workforce, including women from minority faiths and beliefs. Google has created an Inter Belief Network including, but not limited to, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and Jews, encouraging a gender-balanced workforce. Its aim is to foster respect and diversity and to give everyone a voice in their company. “By building a workforce that is more representative of our users and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone, we are building a better Google - together.”

- Fat Beehive actively works to include more women from minorities in their company. “At Fat Beehive, we have to do our bit to redress this imbalance and recognize the positive value of diversity, promote equality, and challenge unfair discrimination. We aim at all times to recruit the person who is most suited to the job and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – men and women, people of all ages, nationalities, religions and beliefs.” In words of its CEO, not having diversity “is a problem in any business because great business needs great diversity, needs new people coming in, new ideas, new ways of thinking.”

- The Ford Interfaith Network and Women in Ford. With the creation of these two groups, Ford is committed to ensuring that female employees of all religions can freely and comfortably devote themselves to their work, expressing their beliefs in meaningful ways while promoting religious understanding and mutual respect in the company.

- Team Kenya, a Kenyan organization working for gender equality. Team Kenya works involving entire communities in gender equality so that any girl in rural Kenya can create a bright future. It works with local primary schools and the Kenyan community to eliminate the barriers preventing girls from accessing education, which is particularly important for girls of minority religious groups who are more vulnerable to discrimination, violence, and poverty.

- Abbott, a company that has always been led by women. Since its foundation in the late 1800s as a medical supply company, it has always had women leaders. Its commitment to supporting women regardless of their faith and belief and encouraging religious diversity has made Abbott a leading workplace for women.

1. Prevent and eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace by putting into place measures to punish sexual harassment. As the United Nations Foundation explains, violence against women that also takes place at work causes more death per year than traffic accidents and malaria combined. Violence against women leads to depression, stress, and suicide attempts in women, affecting their families and communities. This prevents them from achieving a better quality of life, and blocks society from thriving. Do everything you can so your workplace does not reproduce toxic, discriminatory, and violent practices.

2. Create groups or commissions at work where women confidentially and safely turn up to denounce discrimination. Make sure that these complaints are taken seriously and have consequences. Women contribute with new and different ideas, but this only happens if they have a safe place to explore their own creativity.

3. Create a culture in which all people and especially women from minority faiths are welcome. For the survival of the company, it is necessary that the workforce is representative of the population of its users. Encourage hiring women from minority faith communities and put into place measures so they feel safe. Seminars, trainings, or discussion groups can be created so workers exchange their different points of views.

4. Fight to achieve equal pay for work of equal value. Achieving gender equality will not be possible without ensuring that the work done by women and men is valued equally. Women deserve to be paid the same as their male colleagues when they perform the same job. Make sure there is equal pay for men and women in your organization.

5. Once there is equal pay, make sure that women and men performing the same job have the same work title. If this is not the case, organizations fall into covered-discriminatory practices by giving men a different title (higher) than women linked with higher salaries when their duties are the same. This, in the end, goes against achieving equal pay and falls into discriminatory practices.

6. Facilitate work-life balance for both women and men, so women are opting to start a family can maintain their job. Previous studies have shown that flexible working hours allow mothers to maintain their working hours after childbirth, and it increases women’s satisfaction with work.

7. Encourage women to work in your company. Make sure that the culture of your workplace considers the needs of women and increases the percentage of women working in your organization. In some countries, organizations have introduced measures of having 30%, 40%, or 50% of their workforce composed of women. They have discovered that boosting the gender share in organizations has a significant and positive impact on company results. Start by encouraging your employees and your directive force to include more women at work and, as time goes, increase the number of employed women.

8. Encourage religious diversity in the workplace. Great business needs great diversity. Look for women belonging to religious minority groups as they bring new ideas and new ways of thinking.

9. Promote women at work along the chain of hierarchy including leadership positions. If the gender balance in decision-making at all levels is not improved, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment cannot be achieved. More and more evidence shows that organizations with a more balanced representation of women in decision-making bodies can achieve better results.

Educators play an essential role in society. They shape how children and young people see themselves and others, their families, and their communities. In many cases, they spend more time with children than anyone else, acting as educators and supporting their development.

Every educator has an essential role in society because they teach future generations skills and values. Both male and female educators should take an active role in encouraging the girls they teach, especially those from minority backgrounds. Educators should focus on crafting lesson plans which incorporate religious tolerance, gender parity, and the inherent dignity of all human beings.

- Bahrain has always paid great attention to all vulnerable groups within the community and especially people from minority faiths and women of these groups. Teachers and professors are trained and teach four key principles: "learning to be, learning to know, learning to work, and learning to live with others." With these principles, they play an important role in promoting respect for everyone regardless of their gender, religion, and ability.

- Tech Over Trauma. The NGO Roads of Success is committed to the education of persecuted women across the globe, fostering an understanding of their rights and providing tools to help them raise their voices to speak in front of not only their governments but also their communities locally. Tech Over Trauma is a pilot program initiated in the Ba'adra Camp in Dohuk, Iraq, Germany, Lebanon, Greece, Egypt, to empower and educate persecuted Christian, Yazidi, and other religious minorities who have escaped ISIS captivity and sex trafficking and/or survived severe traumatic experiences, specifically because of violent targeting of their faith-based communities or persecution. Tech Over Trauma's mission is to teach, educate, equip and empower students by offering programs such as English and German language learning, computer classes, motivational sessions, arts, music, mental wellness, identity and character development, career, and skills development, mentorship, leadership, counseling, and hygiene classes to overcome trauma and support their futures.

- Teach For All expanding educational opportunities around the world. Teach For All is an organization whose goal is that education reaches as many children as possible. Teach for All tries to expand the opportunity for children that otherwise would not have access to education.

- Educators 4 Social Change provides guides, resources, classroom tools and much more, including a feature on Teaching About Feminism.

1. Be sensitive to social and gender norms. Be aware of how common it is for boys and girls to have different learning opportunities. The first thing to challenge this bias is to realize it. There are lots of options on how to train ourselves in learning gender-inclusive teaching.

2. Treat your students equally, regardless of their gender and religious background. Be deliberate about giving girls the same chance and time as boys to talk in class, to answer questions, or to raise their doubts.

3. Create and provide a safe environment where students, and especially girls, can freely discuss their views and opinions.

4. Provide multiple options for participation. Girls, especially those from minority groups, tend to have less confidence than boys due to how society raises them. It is quite common that women students withdraw from large class discussions. By providing different options for participation such as giving students time to think through responses, or writing their opinions, every student can feel comfortable having a say.

5. Challenge gender and religious stereotypes. School may be a place where gender and religious stereotypes are extremely obvious. Students can usually group themselves according to gender and religion and act in a way that they believe supports unhealthy roles. Create a welcoming and inclusive environment for students and encourage true self-expression.

6. Build and share a positive self-image of women, of their value and importance in society. Talk about their value not only as mothers but as a part of the community helping in its construction and improvement.

7. Find and share positive stories of influential women through the curriculum. Incorporate books and content made by women and talk about women leading figures like doctors, politicians, teachers, drivers, etc. as you will do about men.

8. Encourage girls’ participation. Girls and women students tend to need more time and confidence to engage in discussion and sometimes even to share their opinions. But teachers can boost confidence when they encourage women to speak up, share ideas, and voice opinions. Make sure your female students, especially those from minority groups, have a safe space to participate. This will help them increase their confidence and will encourage other girls to participate, giving their opinion challenging the male narrative.

9. Create a safe space in the class or in the school to which students can go for counseling, to raise their concerns, and to find solutions for school, family, or community problems.

10. Educate children, especially boys, on gender equality and empathy so they grow up understanding the importance of respecting each other. Share with them that women, regardless of their faith or belief, can do the same things as men and that when women engage in all spheres of society, there is a clear societal benefit. Tackling the root of the problem is the best way to ensure a safe and equal future for everyone.

Half of the world's population is made up of men. Traditionally, and to a considerable extent today, men have occupied privileged positions in society. Holding the conventional title of ‘breadwinner’ has given men considerable decision-making power, which extends to domestic and gender spheres.

In recent decades, some parts of the world are seeing a change where women are gaining independence and demanding equality with men. Since men and women are both entitled to the same rights, lots of countries are supporting and advancing women’s rights which is bringing multiple benefits to their societies.

In countries where women's rights are more protected, all sectors of the population and society benefit from it. When women have decision-making power, there is a reduction of violence and poverty, and there is economic and social development for the population. And men’s initiative does not decrease when women are empowered. As an urban man in Niger said: “It’s a partnership. We want it that way. Here, in town, a man does better when his wife contributes.”

- Pope Francis, regularly encouraging justice and equality for women of faith or belief and the protection of their rights. During his visit to Iraq in March 2021, he sent a message encouraging taking steps to protect and support the flourishing of Iraq’s diverse religious minority communities, supporting the protection and enhancement of women.

- Men in Myanmar acting against gender-based violence. In Myanmar, some men are stepping up to call out other men that engage in gender-based violence teaching how to deescalate a violent situation. Slowly, the idea that women should put up with abuse from their husbands, is being challenged. This is especially useful for women of minority faiths or beliefs since they occupy a low place in society having less access to services that can help them to go out of circles of violence. In the picture below it is a man that works in this UN program to end gender-based violence.

- Al-Azhar's Imam calling for equality between Christians and Muslims and carrying the denouncement of the discrimination faced by women as part of Christian communities. He addressed Christians saying: “You are part of this nation. You are citizens, you are not a minority. You are citizens with full rights and responsibilities.”

- Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian Prime Minister passed a law demanding gender parity in its government. In October 2017, he signed a law mandating gender parity in the country’s executive regardless of faith or belief, a major improvement since his earlier cabinet only included four women compared to 24 men. “Our women ministers will disprove the old adage that women can’t lead,” said the Prime Minister.

- The basketball player, Steph Curry, made it clear that he supports women’s rights and wrote a letter in favor of gender equality in 2018. “I’m feeling more driven than ever — to help out women who are working toward progress, in any way that I can. Let’s work to close the opportunity gap. Let’s work to close the pay gap. And let’s work together on this. I mean, ‘women deserve equality’”.

- The actor Terry Crews in 2017 sketched on the need for men to speak up against domestic violence and sexual harassment.

1. Start by realizing that women, and especially women of minority groups because of their intersecting identities, do not enjoy the same rights as men, even if every human being is equal under the law in human dignity and human rights. People must understand that women traditionally have occupied lower layers of society. This lower status comes from the idea that women cannot perform as well and cannot do the same things as men. However, in those places in which women are allowed to prove their potential, society is changing its view and is opening up for women occupying more places in society.

2. Understand the improvement that eventually your household and your community are going to experience if every woman gains independence. Encourage girls to go to school, women to find a job, to have friends, and to create their personality, hobbies, and dreams.

3. Listen to the women around you including those ones who are the most discriminated. Try to understand their perspective and realize that they might be different from yours. Since women encounter different obstacles than men in life, women experience life in a completely different manner. Listen to them and ensure they feel safe by opening up your mind and your heart with curiosity and compassion.

4. Ask them what you can do to be a better ally and share household chores. When women share most households’ responsibilities, they are limited in their ability to have relationships and opportunities outside of the home. This prevents them from gaining autonomy.

5. Educate children and tell them that men and women should be treated equally. Share with them that women, regardless of their faith or belief, can do the same things as men and that when women engage in all spheres of society there is a clear societal benefit. Tackling the root of the problem is the best way to ensure a safe and equal future for everyone.

6. Treat women with respect and never use violence. Every conflict can be solved with the power of words, sit down, and talk about the roots of the problems. Find peaceful and common solutions for the problems.

7. Do not favor possessive, manipulative, and temperamental relationships. They tend to make people feel disvalued, creating mental and physical problems that can lead to families falling apart and creating negative consequences in the community.

8. Respect women who are part of faith minority communities. Every human being has the freedom to follow a certain religion or belief, to express it publicly, and practice it. This freedom is crucial for our well-being, and it is an integral part of everyone. Acknowledge and treat women practicing different faiths with respect so they feel part of the community positively engaging with it. If you share the same minority faith as your wife, sister, daughter, or other important women in your life, make sure that your religious community includes them. Protect them from the double vulnerability faced by women of minority faiths.

9. Support women who choose to work. Access to work for anyone is the driving force for social development. It is also the best way for women to achieve independence. Having an income allows women to strengthen their capacities and autonomy and guarantees a decent life for themselves and their families. It reduces discrimination, violence, and poverty, benefiting the entire society.

10. Support women who want to be leaders. Women, like men, have ideas and dreams. Some of them might want to become leaders in their community, their religious group, or at their workplace. Encourage them to do so. They will increase their feeling of accomplishment and be a motor of change.

11. Encourage other men to read this list and do the same. When men realize the need for women's empowerment and the benefits it brings to the world, gender equality and women’s rights are closer to being achieved.

Traditionally, and to a considerable extent today, men have occupied privileged positions in society, possessing considerable decision power.

However, more than half of the world's population is comprised of women, so for society to develop, it is necessary that every woman can enjoy her human rights and have the same opportunities as men. This is the change that society is seeing in recent decades: countries are reshaping themselves and are heading towards a world in which women's rights are more protected.

Men are an essential actor in this change, but women, as main characters, are leading the movement, fighting to achieve more rights for themselves, their daughters, and future generations. When women understand the benefits that come from greater autonomy in their lives for themselves and everyone around, the change is unstoppable. Women, especially minority groups, need to work together regardless of their differences to create a better present and a brighter future.

- The song "Prayer of the Mothers" in which women from all religions are asking for peace between Palestine and Israel. The song was born because of an alliance between the singer Yael Deckelbaum and the "Women Wage Peace" movement. In the song, they ask for a world without war and conflict and for an end to the Israelian-Palestine conflict. Women from all faiths decided to join forces and created this video to support the movement.

- Angelina Jolie co-chairing the first Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in the conflict in London in 2014. During this summit, she drew attention to the sexual abuse of women in war, specifically standing for women of religious minority communities and the more severe oppression they suffer.

- Yvette Isaac as a visionary speaker and television host. Through The Healing Channel, and her two own TV programs: Maria Fadela and From Heart to Heart, she raises awareness of the persecution that Christians suffer in the Middle East and advocates for the protection of the rights of women from minority religious groups.

- Nadia Murad, who was an ISIS sexual slave due to her double vulnerability, founded her initiative to advocate for Yazidi survivors of sexual violence and to make it possible for the Yazidi community to receive tangible support. Since Nadia's initiative was founded in 2018, it has launched over 50 projects related to healthcare, education, and women's empowerment, especially for minority faith communities.

- Ekhlas Bajoo, a survivor of ISIS captivity for her belonging to the Yazidi minority group, has participated in several meetings in international organizations and conferences, raising awareness of the discrimination and violence that women from minority religious groups suffer and advocating for an end to sexual violence and religious discrimination.

- Malama Ouani preaching for women's rights in Niger. Malama Ouani, a female Islamic preacher, uses faith to uphold women's rights. Ouani frequently holds meetings with women about Islam that include a broad catalog of topics, including domestic violence, health care, and women's empowerment. She preaches that domestic violence is forbidden in Islam since husbands are required to uphold the health, dignity, and rights of their wives. Her lessons about health often veer into broader discussions about women's and girls' rights. She is an example of a woman of faith fighting for women's rights.

- Sonal Kapoor founded Protsahan India Foundation to eradicate child abuse. "I was in a slum where I met the horrors of reality. There was this 36-year-old woman with six daughters and a seventh child was on the way. I noticed that one of her daughters, a 7-year-old girl, could hardly walk straight or sit properly. After a lot of insisting, her mother opened up and shared that the child was sexually assaulted in a nearby brothel. I still remember how shocked I was when she said that she would strangle the seventh child if it turned out to be a girl. After this, I couldn't go back to my old job!" said Sonal, who has been fighting child trafficking since then.

- Deane De Menezes with her project ‘Red is the New Green’. The project aims to break the social stigma associated with menstruation and promote its economic and gender inequality. Through several menstrual hygiene awareness meetings held in schools, institutions, colleges, hospitals and organizations in Mumbai, Deane and her team have been breaking down myths related to menstruation and encouraging safe and healthy choices. However, in addition to spreading awareness in rural areas, Deane and her team also produced affordable menstrual hygiene products for poor girls and women and installed hygiene vending machines in several places.

- Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani Muslim activist for female education. Malala Yousafzai vehemently opposed the ban on girls’ education in Pakistan and at the age of 15, she survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban group. Since then, she has been fighting for girls’ access to education regardless of their religion. In 2014, Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their efforts for girls’ access to education and children’s rights.

1. Take care of yourself. Take care of your body, mind, and emotions. When a person is physically healthy, their minds tend to be clearer, their emotions are better balanced, and they have more energy to face the challenges that life throws at them.

2. Positive thinking, empowering thoughts. Acknowledge and capture negative thoughts when they occur and make a conscious effort to replace them with positive thoughts. Your opinion is the most important. In order to maintain support for yourself, you must maintain a positive attitude.

3. Respect all women who are part of faith minority communities. Every human being has the freedom to follow a certain religion or belief, to express it publicly, and practice it. This freedom is crucial for our well-being, and it is an integral part of everyone. Acknowledge and treat other women practicing different faiths so they feel part of their broader community.

4. Educate children, especially boys, on gender equality and empathy, so they grow up understanding the importance of respecting each other. Share with them that women, regardless of their faith or belief, can do the same things as men and that when women engage in all spheres of society, there is a clear societal benefit. Tackling the root of the problem is the best way to ensure a safe and equal future for everyone.

5. Take advantage of learning opportunities. Empowerment comes with education. Education is the most important thing women can do to help them grow spiritually and emotionally by developing new skills and self-confidence.

6. Involve other women in the conversation by talking about daily problems, sharing concerns, and finding solutions to problems. Even just finding your voice and telling your story is enough to empower others. By sharing your story, you can even encourage people with similar backgrounds to realize or fight for their dreams.

7. Encourage girls’ education. Promote the value of education by pursuing opportunities yourself, being vocal about its benefits in your family and community, and banding together with other women at school, university, and in training programs to stand up to discrimination and advocate for yourselves.

8. Be proactive in your community. Take the opportunities given to you by local, regional, or national governments to speak up about your situation and the situation of women, especially of minority groups in your community. If these opportunities do not exist, try to create them: gather with other women and bring men on board to create a platform to speak up and share your ideas and thoughts. When possible, contact local authorities so they are part of these meetings or groups.

9. Support women who choose to take a different path in life from yours. Women, like any human being, have individual ideas, dreams, and lifestyles, and another women's choice does not undermine your own. Some of them might want to become leaders in their community, their religious group, or at their workplace. Others might choose to stay at home and start a family. Encourage and support that diversity without prejudice.

10. Be kind, say positive things about and thank other women for their efforts. Women, especially of minority groups, are often forgotten and do not often feel appreciated. By expressing gratitude to those around you, they will do the same, so every woman feels useful and valued.