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Women's Economic Empowerment through Islamic Social Finance: Integrating Waqf, Zakah, and Microfinance for Inclusive Development Huma Khan; Adamu Abubakar Muhammad; Ahmad Babikir; Ismail Iliyasu Danladi; Muhammad Uba Babayo; Abdullah A. Afifi
Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026)
Publisher : IDRIS Darulfunun Institute

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.58764/j.jrdti.2026.4.188

Abstract

Women economic empowerment has been at the heart of global discussions about development owing to the critical roles it plays in poverty alleviation, household welfare, inclusive economic development and growth. Nevertheless, an important proportion of women, especially in developing countries, still face poor access to financial services, productive assets and financial opportunities. Their entrepreneurship potentials continue to be untapped due to their poor access to capital. Limited financial resources and collateral requirements prevent poor women from accessing Conventional financing options. As part of the Islamic financial framework, zakah, waqf, sadaqa, and Islamic micro-financing are useful tools for social justice and promoting equal distribution of wealth. Hence this paper aims to present the Integrated Women Islamic Social Finance Empowerment Framework (IWISE) which is an effort to combine the elements of Islamic social finance with women empowerment entrepreneurship and capacity development into a single cohesive model. This study employs a qualitative research approach. The primary data collection consists of document analysis of Islamic classical legal texts, and reviews of current relevant literatures on Islamic social finance, women entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, micro financing and poverty alleviation. The study employs conceptual and analytical method to synthesis existing body of knowledge and put forward an integrate Islamic social finance for women’s economic development. Study shows that better integration of Zakah and Waqf Institutions, Islamic micro-financing institutions, governments and civil society could improve women access to finance, support the provision of business development, vocational skills, digital literacy, and other opportunities in the market place. Productive endowments (waqf) and zakat, could sustain entrepreneurial activities for women. This approach is expected to create synergistic and collaborative partnerships to advance women entrepreneurship, financially include women in the economy and sustainably enhance their livelihoods. This study adds to the existing body of literature on Islamic social finance through proposing a novel model of Integrated Women’s Islamic Social Finance Empowerment (IWISE) Frame work that strategically combine zakat, waqf and Islamic micro finance with capacity development and partnerships initiatives in the sphere of women entrepreneurship and economic development. This framework will provide a policy road map for policy makers, Islamic institutions and entrepreneurs for effective utilization of Islamic philanthropic and financial resources to ensure that Islamic social Finance become instruments of inclusive and sustainable human development through empowerments of women.
Beyond Islamic FinTech: A Decentralized Waqf Finance Ecosystem for Green Venture Capital in Emerging Muslim Economies Adamu Abubakar Muhammad; Ahmad Babikir; Bala Babangida; Muhammad Uba Babayo; Abdullah A. Afifi; Muhammadu Sani Abubakar
Journal of Regional Development and Technology Initiatives Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026)
Publisher : IDRIS Darulfunun Institute

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.58764/j.jrdti.2026.4.196

Abstract

Green entrepreneurship in emerging Muslim economies faces persistent financing constraints arising from high perceived investment risks, limited availability of patient capital, underdeveloped green-finance markets, and restricted access to early-stage venture financing. Although decentralized finance (DeFi) has introduced blockchain-enabled mechanisms for broadening financial participation and improving the efficiency of capital mobilization, its potential integration with Shar??ah-compliant Islamic social finance remains insufficiently explored. This study addresses this gap by proposing a DeFi–Waqf Green Venture Financing Ecosystem that positions digital waqf as a catalytic source of patient capital within a decentralized architecture for financing environmentally sustainable ventures. The study adopts a qualitative conceptual research design based on a systematic review and thematic synthesis of interdisciplinary literature on DeFi, blockchain technology, digital waqf, Islamic finance, sustainable finance, green entrepreneurship, and venture capital. The analytical framework draws upon Maq??id al-Shar??ah, Islamic social finance principles, and sustainable-finance perspectives to examine the institutional and technological conditions required for an ethically grounded decentralized financing ecosystem. The proposed framework integrates tokenized waqf assets, smart contracts, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), blockchain-based transparency mechanisms, and complementary Islamic financing instruments to facilitate the mobilization, governance, and allocation of capital to green ventures. Waqf is conceptualized not merely as a charitable endowment but as a potentially catalytic and perpetual source of mission-aligned capital capable of reducing financing barriers for early-stage sustainable enterprises. Tokenization may broaden participation in waqf-supported investment ecosystems, while smart contracts can support transparent contractual arrangements, automated administration, and accountable distribution mechanisms, subject to appropriate legal, regulatory, technological, and Shar??ah governance. The study extends existing Islamic FinTech scholarship by moving beyond applications focused primarily on payments, crowdfunding, and administrative digitalization toward the institutional integration of decentralized finance, Islamic social finance, and green venture capital. The resulting framework demonstrates how waqf can serve as an institutional bridge between philanthropic capital, private investment, technological innovation, and climate-oriented entrepreneurship in emerging Muslim economies. The study contributes theoretically by connecting Islamic social finance with decentralized financial architecture and sustainable venture financing, and practically by identifying governance and policy considerations for regulators, waqf institutions, Islamic financial institutions, technology providers, investors, and green entrepreneurs. It concludes that a carefully governed DeFi–Waqf ecosystem could provide a promising complementary mechanism for mobilizing patient, ethical, and sustainability-oriented capital while advancing the broader objectives of inclusive economic development, environmental stewardship, and the Maq??id al-Shar??ah.