Muslim Women Tackling Vulnerability and Marginalisation

The ultimate irony today is that our government is targeting Muslim women and categorising them as deprived and discriminated against. In the Supreme Court, the Government of India had filed a response stating that the absence of reforms in the community during the last 65 years have left Muslim women “extremely vulnerable, both socially as well as financially”. As if on cue, on the 24th October 2016 the Prime Minister of India condemned the practice of the so-called 'triple talaq system' , saying  that “no injustice should be meted out to our mothers and sisters in the name of religion or community.” 

This stereotyping of the Muslim community, particularly by vilifying the treatment of its women, is somewhat ironic. The census figures tell a simple tale of where women get discriminated against more. The percentage of women staying in the marriage is highest amongst Muslims (87.8%) compared to Hindus (86.2%), Christians (83.7%) and other religious minorities (85.8%). The percentage of widowed women is least among Muslims (11.1%) compared to Hindus (12.9%), Christians (14.6%) and other religious Minorities (13.3%). The culture of widow remarriages likely provides a higher level of family protection to Muslim women compared to women from other religious communities. The percentage of separated and abandoned women is also least among the Muslims (0.67%) compared to Hindus (0.69%), Christians (1.19%) and other religious Minorities (0.68%).