Double vulnerability of persecuted women hits home in Parliament

In order to highlight both the double vulnerability of Christian and other minority women and the calls of the Hope for the Middle East petition, Open Doors partnered with British artist, Hannah Rose Thomas, and Caroline Spelman MP to display an exhibition of Yezidi women’s trauma artwork in parliament.

‘Deeply harrowing’ was government minister Alistair Burt’s assessment of the art exhibition featuring Yezidi women who had survived socalled Islamic State (IS).

Thanks to your generous support, Open Doors partners continue to provide trauma therapy to Christian communities in Iraq and have trained Yezidi trauma care providers.

In order to highlight both the double vulnerability of Christian and other minority women and the calls of the Hope for the Middle East petition, Open Doors partnered with British artist, Hannah Rose Thomas, and Caroline Spelman MP to display an exhibition of Yezidi women’s trauma artwork in parliament. Over 2,500 people invited their MPs to attend the exhibition, and as a result over 75 MPs attended, including many government ministers! Thank you!

The powerful artwork deeply moved politicians and gave life to the double persecution of women as never before. In May the exhibition will be displayed again at the Department for International Development – an opportunity to press for practical support for our persecuted sisters.

The Prime Minister commended the display during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) and shared about her December meeting with Father Daniel from Iraq, where she discussed Open Doors’ Hope for the Middle East petition. This is the second time the Prime Minister has referred to her meeting in PMQs – each time she committed to consider what more her government could do to support minorities in the Middle East. We are chasing down what that ‘more’ might look like and are organising a joint letter from those 75 MPs to add pressure.