By JORDAN MCLAUGHLIN
Is religion a barrier to achieving gender equality? The patriarchal past of most religions have led some modern feminists to argue that all religions are inherently patriarchal, and that gender equality and religion are incompatible. Since the fight for gender equality was officially sparked during the first ever women’s rights convention in 1848, feminism has become more widespread— is it truly the case that feminism and religion cannot coexist peacefully?
Taslima Nasrin, a feminist writer and physician argues that “no one can be a true feminist without being an atheist. All religions are anti-woman. No one can be pro-woman while supporting anti-woman dogmas.” Nasrin argues that terrorists are most often inspired by religion, such as in the case of ISIS and the Taliban—two major terrorist groups that put a major focus on persecuting women. In her view, all governments and all laws in any country should be absolutely secular. It is true that many religions have traditionally designated women as inferior to men, giving them fewer rights in terms of marriage, speech, education, and more—so, while this view does hold some merit, the existence of powerful religious feminists seems to say otherwise. Malala Yousafzai, for example, is a proud Muslim and has helped make significant progress towards gender equality. Malala spoke out against the Taliban’s misogynistic policies and advocated for her right to attend school, persevering even after she was shot in the head. In an interview, Malala stated that she was proud to be a Muslim feminist. She views her religion as a religion of peace and embraces its culture—her interpretation of Islam is one free of hatred and intolerance. “I think in terms of religion, there is not a very clear-cut answer to these issues…” she said. “Everything is interpreted in different ways by different people… To me, Islam is about equality.”
Many organizations have also proved that feminism and religion are not mutually exclusive. For example, Sisters in Islam is a group that focuses on empowering Islamic women with the goal of “promoting the principles of gender equality, justice, freedom and dignity in Islam and empowering women to be advocates for change.” There are many similar initiatives, including the Sikh Feminist Research Institute and the Ezrat Nashim, that are devoted to promoting equality within their respective religious communities by increasing access to healthcare and education, and reducing any religion-based barriers to women holding powerful voices and positions in society.
Additionally, feminism in religion has helped make notable advancements in destigmatizing speaking up about cases of sexual assault, especially within places of worship. Inspired by the #MeToo movement, #ChurchToo and #SilenceIsNotSpiritual were formed with the intention of providing a medium through which victims may share sexual harassment stories within holy places. These movements help to validate survivors’ stories by providing a platform through which sexual assault stories that occur in places of worship may be shared, while ensuring that said places of worship are held accountable for what happens within their walls.
Members of non-majority religious groups also often experience higher levels of discrimination and many encounter significant barriers to achieving their goals. For example, non-Christian women are considerably under-represented in government. As recently as 2007, Senator Mazie Hirono became the first Asian-American and Buddhist woman to be elected to the US Senate. There have also been numerous incidents regarding women facing religious-based discrimination; for instance, in the United States, 69% women who wear a hijab reported at least one incident of discrimination, as opposed to only 29% of women who did not wear the hijab. Instead of ostracizing religious groups, feminists should embrace them and recognize their individual struggles.
It is time to acknowledge that religion and feminism are not mutually exclusive. As shown in the previous examples, it is unnecessary to eradicate religion entirely. Instead, certain aspects can be adapted to be more equitable and inclusive towards women. The progress that has been made in recent years involving both religion and feminism as partners in the fight for equality proves that there is a place in today’s age for both. Yes, religion has been patriarchal in the past, as has society at large. As women, we must embrace the spirit of feminism by uniting and supporting one another, regardless of religion, politics, career, or any other factor and help to further promote gender equality.