This week in Parliament Fiona, in her capacity as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, was presented with a 3,210-signature petition by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The petition was key to ACN’s #RedWednesday 2021 campaign which climaxed with the launch of the charity’s report Hear Her Cries – The Kidnapping, Forced Conversion and Sexual Victimisation of Christian women and girls.
Also present for the petition hand-over were Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh, Scottish National Party MP Dr Lisa Cameron and Morris Johns, Secretary to the All-Party Parliamentary Working Group for Pakistan Minorities, who have all campaigned for Christians and other minority faith girls and women.
Receiving the petition Fiona said:
“I am extremely grateful to ACN for highlighting the plight of minority faith girls suffering forced conversion and forced marriage.
I find it very distressing that girls and young women suffer in this way.
In my role, I am committed to action to stop this denial of freedom which impacts the lives of so many young girls in such a fundamental way."
ACN’s petition will also be submitted to the United Nations.