Gender balance and women empowerment: The Islamic perspective
Gender equality is first and foremost an inalienable human right making both men and women entitled to live in dignity and freedom from want or fear.
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Islam recognises that while men and women have some physical differences, spiritually, they enjoy absolute equality before God such that both the Holy Quran and the Hadith (the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), are unequivocal in stating that one’s gender will have no bearing on their reward or punishment in the next life.
Meaning, both men and women will each be responsible for their own actions, good or bad. They will be judged individually as stated in the Holy Quran chapter 3 vrs 195 that, “I shall not lose sight of the labour of any of you who labours in my way, be it a man or woman; each of you is equal to the other”.
The concept of gender equality is, therefore, best exemplified in the Quranic rendition of Adam and Eve.
They were both punished for defying Allah’s orders to avoid a specific tree and for this single act of disobedience, they were both banished and thrown out of the Garden of Eden.
The Quran, therefore, does not allude to Eve being responsible for their downfall but holds them both accountable as they both had to pay a price proving that equality is an intrinsic part of Islamic belief.
Equality in practice
Additionally, in the Quran, reference to men and women is through attributes and deeds. When God issues a command, He addresses both men and women, using ethical and practical qualities.
And this is in many verses such as Qur’an chapter 33:35, which was revealed after Umm Salamah, one of the Prophet’s wives, complained to him that the Quran was only addressed to men.
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Allah then revealed a long passage addressed clearly to men and women in every line, stating vividly the equal responsibilities and rewards for Muslim men and women.
The passage runs like this: “For men and women who have surrendered, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, enduring men and enduring women, humble men and humble women, men and women who give in charity, men who fast and women who fast, men and women who guard their chastity, men and women who remember God in abundance, for them God has prepared forgiveness and a great reward”.
Man and woman in physical terms
Men and women are not equal in physical terms, even though in some exceptional cases, some women are stronger than men.
The Quran states categorically that Men are the protectors and the maintainers of women because Allah has given men one more strength than women.
The rights of Muslim women, which were granted to them by Allah after the advent of Islam, include the right to equal educational opportunities.
However, the most basic right of a woman in Islam is the knowledge and recognition that she never has to ask or demand or fight for her rights which are guaranteed to her by God Himself in His own wisdom.
Aside from that, Muslim women at all times and places must understand the importance of seeking beneficial knowledge and the positive effects this has on their own characters and on their children, families and societies.
This will make them seek knowledge, hoping to learn whatever will benefit them in this world and the next.
Empowering Muslim women
The Muslim woman can, therefore, be empowered if the gates of knowledge were widely opened to her without any restrictions whatsoever.
She must be allowed to seek both Islamic and secular or Anglo-Saxon education for the two are complementary.
If for some reason she could not complete her tertiary education because she had to get married or for any reason, that should not be the end of the road for her.
It is the responsibility of her husband to ensure that she continues since empowering her through education will inure to his benefit, as well as those of their offspring.
There is the need to emphasise that the mother is the first school for her child and she needs to acquire as much knowledge as possible to enable her to impart or pass the knowledge to her children and generations yet unborn.
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And when she is educated, empowered and gainfully employed, she can at least escape hunger and the scourge of poverty.
She could also have the skills and capacity to access many government interventions designed to eradicate poverty, ignorance and disease.
For it is only when one is educated that one can rise high in government or the modern administrative system, especially now that there is a clarion call on women to take leadership positions and be actively involved in politics.
• The writer is the Founder and President of Al-Hayaat Foundation
Email:hajia.hanatu@alhayaatfoundation.org.gh