Is Patriarchy and male dominance in Muslim
societies the result of cultural practices?
Is it supported by religious tradition?
Aims
Trace back to the origins of Patriarchy
What Qur’an says about Women
Highlight the complex interplay between cultural and religious practices
Some Islamic practices that are misinterpreted and how they perpetuate
Patriarchy & Male Dominance
Recognize the diversity of Muslim communities
Shed light on individuals and groups of people and their roles in resistance
The existing male-female
dynamics in Pre-Islamic
Arabia
01.
Origins of
Patriarchy
Historical Factors
´Ancient civilizations like Egypt,
Rome, and Greece developed the
patriarchal systems (Baloach et al.,
2012)
´ The change to agricultural lifestyles
resulted in development of property
through male lineage (Bishin &
Cherif, 2017)
´It reinforced the male control and
authority
´
(Baloach et al., 2012)
(Bishin & Cherif, 2017)
Origins of
Patriarchy
Economic Factors
´Mostly, males participated in the
economic activities
The polygamy practice allowed
wealthy individuals to develop
alliances (Baloach et al., 2012)
Capitalism played a critical role in
the patriarchy prevalence (Bishin &
Cherif, 2017)
´
(Baloach et al., 2012)
(Bishin & Cherif, 2017)
Origins of
Patriarchy
Religious Factors
Religious traditions also resulted in the
patriarchal norms’ development
In Christian traditions, the Eve and Adam
incident supports patriarchy (Baloach et
al., 2012)
Islam encouraged men to be the bread
winner
However, Islam encouraged the
participation of women also in decisions (Baloach et al., 2012
(Bishin & Cherif, 2017)
(Bishin & Cherif, 2017)
The existing male-female dynamics in Pre-Islamic Arabia
Male Headed Family Marriage Role of Women
•The pre-Islamic Arabia was •Marriage was the starting point of a •Diverse roles were reliant on their
patrilineal family social and tribal status
• • •
•The descent was traced from the •At matchmaking, the qualities of •Some females held position of
father’s side both men and women were assessed impact like a diplomat or poetess
• • •
•Men were the family’s political •Both partners had to be mukhwil •The general perception was limited
head and mu’imm to the women’s roles as mothers,
• • wives, and caretakers in the
•Men were responsible for earning •Nikah allowed that the partners are household
and providing for the family officially married
•
•(Engineer, 2008)
•(Ali, 2004)
•(Engineer, 2008)
The existing male-female dynamics in
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Religious Practices Social Restrictions Transformation with Islam
•The era was characterized by •Women had to face social
•Major changes occurred in the 7th
diverse religious beliefs restrictions in Pre-Islamic Arabia
century as Islam rose to prominence
• •
•
•These included animism and •Limitations on public visibility and
•It challenged the patriarchal norms
mobility
polytheism •
•
• •Islam also instructed to not bury any
•High importance was given to
•The religious landscape female child
chastity and modesty •
comprised of mostly male deities • •Prophet PBUH encouraged the
• •They had to adhere to strict codes participation of women in education and
•It reflected the preference for related to overall behavior and trade
male power and authority dress
•(Hasan, 2006)
•(Baloach et al., 2012)
Rights of Women
In Islam
02.
Muslim women's rights
SOCIAL ASPECT
´Women possess Women also have the
right to receive equitable
much right to
and fair treatment from
education as men do their parents
(Hasan, 2006)
Muslim women's rights
SOCIAL ASPECT
´Women also possess the right
to reject or accept marriage
Women and men both are equally
entitled to freedom of expression
(Lee, 2017)
Hadiths and Verses
Emphasizing on Rights of
Women
Muslim women's rights
Economic Aspect
Islam allows women ´Women are not ´Women are also
to earn and also necessarily forced to entitled to security
possess work or share the provided by their
independently family expenses with brother, father, or
her husband husband
A woman’s honor and ´Islam has provided
property tend to be women the share of
sacred equally as men inheritence
(Parssinen, 2019)
Punishment for Not Giving Equal Rights
Nor
Treating Fairly
´If a man has two wives but is not fair between them,
then he will have to bear consequences on the day of
judgment
Islam instructs that a man cannot neglect his
responsibility of treating wives, sisters, or
daughters equally
In case of neglect, the person will not be able
to enter the paradise and will rather jo to hell
(Nashat, 2006)
Hadiths and
Verses
Emphasizing the
Punishment for
Not Treating
Women Fairly
Misinterpreted
Islamic practices
03.
Islamic Will Heirs and Shares
The rules are strict Quran 4:11- The share of the male will
according to Shariah Law be twice that of the female.
(Islamic Relief Worldwide) (Islam Awakened)
Islam & Inheritance
Women as Independent beings
Inheritance mentioned in sūratal-Nisāʾ as an
affirmation of their independent personhood
(Bauer and Hamza, 2021)
Polygamy Equal Treatment
The Shariah allows for up to four wives, but Quran 4:3- “...but if you fear that you
not without specific rules and regulations. shall not be able to deal justly (with
(University Center for International Studies) them), then only one”. (Islam Awakened)
Islam & Polygamy
Unethical Polygamy in Pre-Islamic Arabia
Pre-Islamic Arabia practised a system of unrestricted,
unprincipled and undisciplined polygamy.
1 in 5 U.S. adults believe that polygamy is morally
acceptable.
and in countries like Chad, people from Christian
communities are found to be more likely than those
from Muslim communities.
So why is polygamy suddenly condemned when
looked at through an Islamic context and why is it only
associated with Islam?
(Pew Research Center, 2020)
A Comparative Case Study:
Yemen and Tunisia
VS
04.
Education
It was narrated by Anas Bin Malik
in Sunan Ibn Majah 224 that the
Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said:
''Seeking knowledge is an
obligation upon every Muslim.'
Source: (Elias, 2012)
In Yemen's northern regions, girls' school attendance is
Historically, Girls in Yemen Had Less hindered by the need to assist moms with domestic
Access to Education Compared to Boys: tasks.
Southern regions confront issues due to the distance
between schools and towns, which makes
transportation a substantial obstacle to girls' education.
Rural areas face a shortage of qualified female
teachers, and Low pay in urban locations such as
Sana'a and Aden makes it difficult to retain experienced
female teachers.
School bathrooms frequently lack gender sensitivity
and fail to address the menstrual hygiene needs of
females.
Statistics
90.1% of girls and 71.4%
of boys complete lower
secondary school in
Tunisia as of 2021 data.
41.9% of girls and 55.7%
of boys complete lower
secondary school in the
Republic of Yemen as of
2016 data.
Source: World Bank Gender Data Portal, 2023.
Child Marriage
Surah An-Nisa (4:19):
O believers! It is not permissible for you to inherit women
against their will or mistreat them to make them return some of
the dowry ˹as a ransom for divorce˺—unless they are found
guilty of adultery.2 Treat them fairly.
If you happen to dislike them, you may hate something which
Allah turns into a great blessing.
Tunisia: The legal minimum age for
marriage is 20 years for both genders.
Yemen: On February 11, 2009,
Parliament agreed to set the marriage
age at 17.
According to a 2019 report by the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA), over 4 million Yemeni
girls are child brides, with 1.4 million of them under
the age of 15.
Source: (Philipp, 2022)
In 2017 the UN's Office for
Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) reported that
52% of Yemeni girls and
women had gotten married
before the age of 18.
Source: (Roudi-Fahimi, 2010)
(Welle (www.dw.com), n.d.)
Too Young to Wed
Source: (Human Rights Watch, 2014)
The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said:
" The best of you is the one who is best to
his wife, and I am the best of you to my
wives.''
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3895) and Ibn Majah (1977).
In 2023, the Republic of Yemen had a low female labor
force participation rate of 5.1%, compared to a substantially
higher male rate of 60.4%.
Tunisia, on the other hand, had a greater female labor force
participation rate of 26.9%, and a rate of 69% that year for
men.
Family violence is quite high in Yemen (26%), Morocco
(25%), and Egypt (23%), whereas self-reported rates are
lower in Libya , Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia. (6% each).
Source: (World Bank Gender Data Portal, n.d.)
Timeline of Change:
Empowering Saudi Women
Conservative Pre 2018 2018 Liberalizing
According to the Crown Prince, "Prior to 1979, social
norms were referring to the principle of male
authority, but no law required women to travel with a
male guardian in the country."
This regulation does not go back to the period of the
Prophet Mohamed. During the 1960s, women did not
travel with male guardians.
(admin_bis, 2023
Feminist movement
and Influentioal
Figures
05.
Muslim Feminist
movement
Islamic feminism, a concept that gained strength
in the 1990s—kept expanding. It was essential to
identify the characteristics of emerging Islamic
feminism at an early stage.
Islam and feminism have been connected since the 1890s.
Some Muslim women and men used ideas from Islam to
argue against unfair treatment of women. Later, feminism
got mixed up with the idea of nationalism in Egypt. So,
feminism in Egypt was also about making sure all
Egyptians, whether Muslim or Christian, had the same
rights in a free country.
(Feminism in
Egypt. In
Wikipedia.
Feminism in Egypt
(2022, March
19).
The egyptian feminist party Bint El-Nil Association
was founded by Fatma was created in 1948
Neamat Rashed in 1942.
Aiming for women's
complete political rights.
It aimed for equality between
men and women in education, Intended to increase the
employment, political aspects. involvement of women in
decision-making.
The goal was also the right
to paid leave for working Aimed to improve childcare
women. and the rights of mothers.
Some of the examples of local forms of Islamic feminist
activism would include:
Judges
Muftis (hold religious rulings)
Ma’dhun (an official who registers marriages)
Another example is the demand made by South African
men and women for women to be allowed to pray in parallel
groups in the main mosque area rather than being
restricted to the back or an upper floor during collective
prayers.
Source: (Exploring islamic feminism,2000)
Female Influential Figures
Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani
activist for female education.
Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni Nobel
Peace Prize laureate.
The first female Bangladeshi Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina - first female
prime minister to rule for the
longest time.
She has been a strong supporter
for women’s rights and
empowerment.
Musawah - a global movement
Musawah, formed by 12 women from
different countries, is a global movement
that was launched in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia in 2009.
Musawah means “Equality” in Arabic, thus
their main motive is equality and justice in
muslim families and family laws by Islamic
feminists.
(Musawah. (n.d.). Musawah. Retrieved from https://www.musawah.org/)
Conclusion
In conclusion, figuring out if patriarchy and male dominance in Muslim communities come
from cultural practices or religious beliefs is tricky. We see that culture and religion are
closely linked, making it hard to separate them. Stating that patriarchy exclusively exists
within Muslim communities is risky, given the diverse nature of these communities
worldwide. They encounter a range of challenges, varying from one community to another.
When we talk about patriarchy and male dominance in Islamic contexts, it's crucial to
understand where these ideas come from and how they affect different communities. We
also need to recognize the work of Islamic feminists who fight for gender equality within
their faith. They challenge old-fashioned interpretations of religious teachings and show
that Islam actually gives women important rights. By promoting a fairer interpretation of
Islam, they're making a big difference in the fight for equality for women.
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Thank you
Sitora Davlatova 6621715
Shakhriyor Kurbonov 6997946
Laasya Kocherlakota 7616028
Laiba Raza 7308073
Palak Hiranandani 7330893
