Description
My thesis examines the gap that exists, within Muslim-majority countries, between the international universal model of gender equality under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Islamic fundamentalist discourse which promotes a patriarchal construction of gender roles at the national level. I argue that Islamic feminism, which draws its legitimacy from Islamic sources and recognises the religious needs of Muslim women, can promote and support their interests better than CEDAW, in certain contexts, such as Bangladesh. My case study of Bangladesh challenges the notion that State reservations and Islamic discourse within the national space are the primary obstacles to gender equality for Muslim women. It also demonstrates that an increased engagement of the State, NGOs and women’s organisations with CEDAW at the international level does not necessarily translate into improved status for Muslim women within society or significantly change their inferior positions within the family. Through my findings in Bangladesh, I aim to contribute to the broader conversation on the limits of the international universal equal rights frameworks in improving the status of religious Muslim women, and the conditions under which alternative approaches like Islamic feminism can advance their rights more effectively.