Islamic Feminism: From Women Advocacy to Reformist Movement

Abstract

The movement of Islamic feminism is emerging with new trends and setups around the Muslim world since its emergence from early 90s to to-date. This paper primarily intends to explore Islamic Feminism its role, major trends, objectives, reform strategy and origins. The core objective of the feminist movement is a societal change of inadequate relations between males and females, maximum women freedom, including rejection of patriarchy against traditional status and role of women and beyond. The analytical research methodlogy has been adopted in this study with qualitative paradigm. On the basis of available litrature, this study notices, the feminist movement has become a most vibrant reformist movement of the Muslim society in modern era. However, under the influence of Western feminism, Muslim women leadership feels a distance between socio-religious norms and feminist demands in Muslim world. The study suggests, they should link their demands with core issues of the Muslim women as unemployment, lack of education, heritage rights and right of marriage and divorce for more effectiveness.