Gender and Inclusion: A focus on Muslim Women in India

This series of research papers emerges out of a discussion that we had with the late Prof Madhava Menon who tirelessly worked for diversity in the work force and against discrimination of all kinds. It was his inspiration that drove us towards the first volume on Gender and Inclusion. This one is the second in the series that we have planned at a biannual frequency, and focuses on Muslim women, a minority within a minority. With the emergence of an appeasement narrative has come up another on the relative deprivation of Muslim women. The agenda has been, in many ways, driven by the Prime Minister himself, with his push towards passing an Act on the Muslim divorce proceedings and in giving criminalising what is essentially a civil wrong.

This narrative therefore triggered several debates, and the various concerns regarding Muslim women has emerged. Do they only serve as baby producers, are they harassed and harangued within their houses that they cannot emerge out of? Do they suffer on the hands of a patriarchal mindset that does not allow them to go to school and later prevents them from seeking employment? In a gendered atmosphere where Indian women continue to do poorly, does the Muslim women face double the hurdles her other compatriots tackle? This volume looks at a few of these questions and tries to develop an understanding of the multiple problems that get highlighted.