An Islamic Perspective on preventing violence against Women and Girls

By Michelle Otiato

The meeting was held on the 31 st of May at 3.00 p.m. This consultation process was held to allow global conversations on women's rights in Islam involving renowned Islamic academics and local Muslim scholars, religion leaders, civil society organizations, and Muslim women's rights networks.

Fairness was the goal of the representation and in addition, region, age, and gender were also to be represented. The Faith to Action Network, in partnership with its founding members Al-Azhar University, Muhammadiyah, and Muslim groups, are the ones who have arranged the consultative webinar with the goal of providing a safe space for Muslim faith actors to share their perspectives of Women’s Rights in Islam and the attendees to share their thoughts and opinions. The meetings will provide an overview of the situation and the theological foundation and comprehension of what is spoken concerning women's rights in Islamic texts. It is written in the holy book, the Quran, that men and women have equal positions hence women to not be treated any less. It is said that women still face gender-based violence in the Islamic communities due to the misunderstood interpretation of the Quran. The number of victims of violence has grown and is alarming. This is also caused due to the disparity in Islamic practices, economy and patriarchal culture.

That is why it is important to separate culture and religion. Due to the misinterpretation of the Dhoruba, with the help of the government, women scholars are working with preachers to help people understand it better so as for women to conceal the behavior of their husbands and to encourage Muslims to have a different interpretation of the Quran. Muslim women are also faced with the issue of child marriage, and this is because the women voices are still inferior to men in the Islamic communities. There is also discrimination of the age of marriage where women who are not allowed to marry a man who is younger than her. This shouldn’t be an issue because anyone who is above 18 years old should be given the freedom to choose their partner who is also above the age. The right Islamic ideology according to the discussion was that for women to be treated with respect

which was also laid out in the Quran by prophets. The women should be treated with compassion and the legacy of Islam states that the women inheritance exceeds the husband. And because women and men are complementary, they should have the right to own, right to choose a husband, education and the freedom to give their views in situations. The context of the Quran is to reform and not to punish hence men are advised to treat women with love and compassion. Some of the solutions discussed in the panel to improve lives of women in communities were.

1. The advocacy of religious leaders to sensitize communities on the need to respect women

2. Women to educate themselves to defend themselves for Islam gives them rights

3. Embrace the values of compassion

4. Laws to be made to criminalize harassment

5. Programs to train the police on how to act in favor of women