Women’s Rights in the Muslim World: The Universal-Particular Interplay
Author(s)
Tohidi, Nayereh
Abstract
An ironic ramification of the tragedy of September 11 and the subsequent demise of the Taliban government in Afghanistan seems to be an unprecedented rise in the international prominence of issues concerning the rights and status of women in the Islamic world. This increased international attention to women’s quest for equal civil and human rights and a better appreciation of women’s agency in the modernization and democratization of the Islamic world can be a welcome development. The increased attention of Western leaders towards the rights of Muslim women will probably be short-lived, but advocates of women’s rights can work to turn this development into long-lasting progress. Starting with a brief review of the global state of women’s rights in general and a comparative historical background of Muslim women’s rights in particular, this paper will attempt to make arguments and policy recommendations.
