Journal of Noesantara Islamic Studies
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026)

ISLAMIC FEMINISM: REVISITING GENDER ROLES AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM SOCIETIES

Lucas Lima (Universidade São Paulo)
Omar Khan (Kabul University)
Razia Khan (Paktia University)
Lala Khoironi Lutfi (Institut Agama Islam Riyadlotul Mujahidin Ngabar Ponorogo)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Aug 2026

Abstract

Islamic feminism has become an important framework for examining the relationship between religious interpretation, gender justice, and women’s rights in contemporary Muslim societies. This study aimed to analyze how Islamic feminist perspectives reinterpret gender roles and evaluate the extent to which these interpretations influence legal recognition, institutional practice, and women’s lived experiences. A qualitative comparative multiple-case design was employed across Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, and Tunisia. Data were collected through forty-eight semi-structured interviews, eight focus group discussions, and analysis of sixty scholarly, legal, religious, policy, and civil society documents. Thematic and cross-case analyses revealed that most participants distinguished Islamic ethical principles from patriarchal customs and supported contextual interpretations grounded in justice, dignity, reciprocity, and shared responsibility. Findings also showed a persistent gap between formal rights and women’s practical ability to exercise them, particularly in relation to family decision-making, employment, leadership, legal remedies, and religious authority. These disparities were shaped by legal literacy, financial resources, institutional access, social class, and cultural expectations. The study concludes that Islamic feminism is most effective when theological reinterpretation is connected with legal reform, institutional accessibility, and women’s social agency.    

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijnis

Publisher

Subject

Religion Other

Description

Journal of Noesantara Islamic Studies is dedicated to bringing together the latest and most important results and perspectives from field of Islamic studies, devoting to provide an intellectual niche of new Islamic trends in society and beyond. The Journal of Noesantara Islamic Studies is a highly ...