Economic Empowerment of Women in the Islamic World

The book, Economic Empowerment of Women in the Islamic World, discusses the economic, social, and political rights and status of women in Islam, which is theoretically given by the Islamic Jurisprudence (Shariah law). The chapters in this volume will address historical practices in comparison to the status of women in the contemporary Muslim world. Men and women in Islam, regardless of their age, social class, and education, are equal as citizens and individuals, but not identical in their rights and responsibilities. It can be observed from Islamic history that in the early age of Islam, women were given full confidence, trust, and high responsibilities in leadership, educational guidance, and decision-making.This volume will try to clarify the confusion in the status of the women in Islam that is presented by the media, as it is assumed that theoretical Islamic empowerment of women bears little relation to the real conditions of women in modern Muslim societies. It has been widely claimed in the media that Muslim women suffer more than men in Muslim societies and communities in terms of insecurity, domestic abuse, and low access to education and medical care. It is also stated in the press and media that absence of good governance also results in gender inequality and violation of the rights of Muslim women.This volume also aims to provide the solutions for the empowerment of women in the Islamic world. We assumed that without good governance, the status of women is not likely to improve. Muslim women have the potential to play a fundamental role in curbing corruption, social ills, violence, and crime in the Muslim world. This volume will make the case that in order to achieve stability and prosperity, the government must ensure a platform for women to participate in decision-making and hence benefit from the rights they are accorded in Islam.By covering a range of perspectives on the economic lives of Muslim women around the world, it hopes to shed light on the problems faced and to offer possible solutions to the empowerment of women in the Islamic world.Contents: Empowerment of Women in Islam: An Introduction (Toseef Azid and Jennifer Ward-Batts) Theoretical Issues: Economic Empowerment of Women in Islam (Abdul Azim Islahi) Women Empowerment and Leadership in Islam between Myth and Reality (Noor Mohammad Osmani, Mohammad Omar Farooq and Abu Umar Faruq Ahmad) The Prophetic Vision of Women Empowerment: Evidence from Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) Family (Mohammad Abdullah) The Role of Women in Business and the Life of Khadija (Irum Saba and Khadija Bari) Women in the Workplace: Shari'ah and Contemporary Perspectives (Mohammad Hashim Kamali) Navigating between Patriarchal Fundamentalism and Islamic Feminism: A Critical Islamic Appraisal (Nabil Yasien Mohamed) Women's Rights: The Qur'anic Ideals and Contemporary Realities (Elmira Akhmetova) Development Perspectives: A Relational Well-Being (Maslaha) Index of Gender Development in Socio-Economic Development Sustainability (Masudul Alam Choudhury, Ari Pratiwi, Mohammad Shahadat Hossain and Faezy Adenan) Women Empowerment and Globalization Evidence from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Countries (Muhammad Tariq Majeed) Islamic Paradigm of Women's Socio-Economic Empowerment: Ideals and Realities (Muhammad Iqbal Anjum) Is Press Freedom an Effective Tool to Empower Women? Empirical Evidence from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Countries (Muhammad Tariq Majeed) Islamic Nano-Finance for the Very Poor by Women: Hopes for Addressing the Islamic Microfinance Gap (Khairunnisa Musari) Country Studies: The 'Islamic Women's' Movement: Transition from the Private Domain to the Public Sphere (Ömer Çaha) Women of Aceh: The Struggle for Peace and Justice (Asna Husin) Social Values and the Female Labor Force Participation in Turkey: A Historical Evaluation from Ottoman Empire to the Present (Kadir Yildirim) The Socio-Economic Conditions of Women in Iran (Mohammad Soleimani...