The Status of Women in the Muslim World

Book excerpt: Gender Equality is at the heart of human rights and United Nations values. The U.N. Charter (1945) adopted the principle of “equal rights for men and women”. But in spite of this universal declaration women’s secondary status and oppression persist. There is no country in the world where women enjoy equal status of men. There are 54 countries with Muslim majority in the world, many of them are in the race for gender equality, but many are lagging behind, in spite of the fact that the Quran has given equal rights to women. The Author has tried to peep into the system to see the status of women and to identify the hurdles in the way of progress. This is just a modest attempt, the subject is very comprehensive. She looks forward to the governments and scholars to work out a feasible model of the family and the role of women in the light of the Quran and Sunnah. The prosperity and the happiness of the Family depends on the fair relationship between husband and wife, which in turn contributes to the peace and prosperity of the world at large.