FAITH AND PLURALISM: THE ROLE OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN IN PROMOTING RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND COUNTERING EXTREMISM IN LAHORE (A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF BAHAAR COLONY AND SANDHAR VILLAGE)

Abstract

This paper is an analysis of the intersection of gender, religion, and minority identity through the lives of the people of the two regions in Lahore, Pakistan (Bahar Colony) and Sundar Village (rural setting). Being women in a doubly marginalised group, namely gender and religious minority, they face the root of discrimination, limited political representation, and socio-economic lack of integration in the system. In Bahar Colony, a settlement with a majority of Christians, the struggles of women are urban complexities and rural vulnerabilities: they have to live without being included in the mainstream political life, whereas in Sundar Village, women tend to be silenced and secluded by social, religious and political marginalisation. Nevertheless, even, with these obstacles, Christian women are very resilient and agency. They practice interfaith dialogue, grassroots peacebuilding, and community mediation and oppose extreme pressures that aim at marginalising them even more. Using the feminist, intersectionality, and peacebuilding theories, this paper identifies the ways in which Christian women disrupt the discourse of extremism and develop pluralism on the ground level. The interview and focus group discussions conducted during fieldwork show a two-sided reality: such women are still victims of structural inequalities, although they are active actors who unite local networks, promote curriculum change, and oppose hate speech. The study argues for reimagining counter-extremism strategies that move beyond state-centric security models toward inclusive, community-led frameworks. It highlights the crucial role of minority women and faith institutions, including churches, in promoting tolerance, religious pluralism, and resilient peace in South Asia.