MENA (MNN) — In the Middle East and North Africa, women are learning to stand with new confidence in the One who calls them His own.
In cultures where their worth is often dismissed, women are discovering a new identity — one rooted in God’s love, dignity, and purpose.
Elizabeth Lawrence, a Gospel worker, says, “The Middle East and North Africa is actually the region in the world with the widest gender gaps anywhere on the planet.” It’s also a place marked by deep violence against women.
Photo courtesy of Mohamed Zarandah vua Pexels
Yet when Jesus reveals Himself, everything changes!
“Jesus comes, and He brings value, love, and transformation. Women who meet Christ in this space are unstoppable for Jesus. They fall in love with Him and begin to tell others about Him,” Lawrence explains.
One woman shared that after accepting Christ, her husband lashed out in anger.
“She said, You know what? It doesn’t matter, because I know for the first time in my life that I’m seen, I’m valued and I’m loved, and I can handle that,” recalls Lawrence.
Seen as a lower class, women are often overlooked in their Gospel work.
“Well, because, you know, they’re just women. So who’s going to notice them? They often go unobserved and don’t get much attention when they move about — and that gives them greater freedom to go and share Jesus with others,” explains Lawrence.
Yet they quietly share the Good News through daily life — whether in their chores, conversations, or small businesses that connect them with others.
(Photo by M.T ElGassier on Unsplash)
Christ’s love restores what society has broken. When women discover that their Creator sees them as worthy, an entirely new world opens before them — one where they belong and are valued.
As a woman begins to live out her faith, her family notices the difference. The transformation she experiences often becomes the spark that leads her husband and children to follow Christ as well.
“Women are really the gateway to the families,” Lawrence says, “because they begin to disciple their children into the love of Christ, and often their husbands see the transformation.”
Pray that women across MENA will know the worth Jesus gives — and that through them, entire families will experience His transforming love!
Header photo courtesy of Navid Sohrabi via Unsplash.
