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Islam and Gender Inequality

            It has long been debated by many that Islam promotes inequality, it could be argued that if one does not look deeper into the matter, it would seem like that would be the case. What one can tend to do is solely blame it on religion; which is often the case. Looking at Middle Eastern states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran; it would be easy to say that Islam paints a picture of gender inequality from a broad perspective. In Saudi Arabia women require a male guardian; there are restrictions on dress and behavior, and women just recently got the permission to drive a car (with a male guardian). Whilst in Iran it is not permissible for a married women to make foreign travels without the permission of her husband; restrictions on dress and behavior are also in the constitution. The list could virtually go on but one has to put these facts aside and see if these restrictions and gender inequalities are there because of Islam or are there any other possible reasons? Asma Barlas (2002:1) asked if the Quran was a patriarchal or misogynistic text; whether it represents God as a Father/male or even if the Quran teaches that God has any special kind of relationship with males and that if women are by nature unclean, weak or sinful. The answer is no, The Quran does not advocate any kind of "one" gender superiority; it is the muslims who are to blame due to misreading and misguiding of Islam (Barlas:2002:2). Kandiyoti (1991:23) states that Muslim scholars argue for that Islam is equal; using the Hadith and Quran as the major sources to back the argument up. It could be argued that there are other factors behind the reason why the rate of gender inequality has been high in Middle Eastern countries. State ideology can make a difference such as in Turkey when Ataturk made state reforms which would affect gender in Turkey. Habib Bourguiba did something similar in Tunisia which points to the fact that state ideology plays a major factor to gender roles in the society; case study examples of this will be given in later on in this paper.


Essays Related to Islam and Gender Inequality

1. Women and Gender Roles in Islam

Particularly in Islam, this notion of oppression and gender inferiority can be interpreted through various lenses. Islamic history, the life of prophet Muhammad and certainly the Qur'an all offer evidence that gender equality should indeed exist between men and women. However, there are very distinct interpretations of this notion that are whether made by scholars or influenced by societal norms which shape the gender views in Islam. ... This verse is controversial since it justifies gender roles and impersonates male privilege over women. ... A scholar interpretation to demonstrate ineq...

  • Word Count: 955
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Women and Religion

The inequalities between men and women can be observed throughout society in varying areas such as income level, job opportunity, sexual double standards, and rights to hold offices of power, both politically and religiously. ... According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, which reviews how 134 countries have succeeded in closing gaps between men and women, 17 out of the 20 countries at the bottom of the gender gap scale were Islamic nations. UNICEF notes out of 24 nations with less than 60% primary enrollment rates, 17 were Islamic nations. 70% of Muslim women are i...

  • Word Count: 1779
  • Approx Pages: 7
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  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Male-Chauvinist Religion

The article for today, Male-Chauvinist Religion, is an insightful look at inequality and how religion is used as tool of oppression throughout the world. Deborah Mathieu shows how three major religions illustrate in the texts and the teachings that women are the inferior gender. ... The religions she refers to, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, all have passages that speak of the woman serving the man in some way. ... The fact that men were responsible for interpreting and teaching these texts could be a reason for a gender bias message. ... The beliefs of an Islamic fundamentalist wo...

  • Word Count: 575
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Afghanistan - Gender Equality and Empowering Women

The Millennium Development Goal in Afghanistan is established to promote gender equality and empower women as the region has a history great gender disparity. ... The Islamic State of Afghanistan(ISA) was formed after the collapse of the PDPA. ... The MDG is designed to help relieve the high gender inequality in the region. ... However, many people in Afghanistan still disagree with this law because it was considered "un-Islamic". ... No one should be discriminated because of his or her gender. ...

  • Word Count: 745
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Hafsa Bint Umar: The Wife With a Hidden Voice

Hafsa's fiery personality, linage, marriage to the Prophet, and prominent role in the rise of Islam is an interesting case as it relates to the image and practices of modern day Islam. Hafsa, as a wife of the prophet and a prominent figure in the construction and rise of Islam, embodies some of the most controversial aspects of the Islamic tradition that modern day Muslim's resist exploring. The marriage between Hafsa and the Prophet exposes much in regards to the purpose and function of marriage in Islam, revealing certain personality traits of the Prophet, and lastly, helping to...

  • Word Count: 3804
  • Approx Pages: 15
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. The Cultures of Britain and Turkey

In Turkey, the main influence on society is religion: "99% of the inhabitants are Muslim" (Carkoglu and Toprak, 2006) with Islam being the second largest religion in the world. ... Social organization involves how people in a given society are categorized, i.e. gender or social class. ... There is a lot of inequality with women being pressured to conform to social norms and comply with religious expectations to avoid conflicts with their husband and family. ... They see society as patriarchal, but they also think that religion is regarded as patriarchal as it reflects and encourages ...

  • Word Count: 963
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. The National Policy on Women

Some reforms highlighted through the National Policy on Women 2009 is the enculturation of gender equality includes the Executive, legislative and judicial. ... If visible to reforms made in the development of National Policy on Women 2009 is the passion to defend the rights of women, particularly in issues related to gender. Where is this policy more emphasis to the principle of no discrimination on the basis of gender. ... Third, promote gender equality in all walks of life in all sectors. ... NGOS such as the National Council Women's Organizations (NCWO), Perkumpulan Wanita (WI), Orga...

  • Word Count: 2598
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Koran view of women

Koranic View of Women Throughout history, the female gender has been looked down upon as the inferior of the sexes and denied their equal rights. ... The Koranic attitude towards women is one of resentment and inequality. This is where the Islamic religion got their view that women are the lesser of the sexes, as we sometimes still see today in this rich and thriving religion. ...

  • Word Count: 839
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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