The Legal Status of Women in Islam

Abstract

The gender difference fueled throughout our history as a species a series of inequalities that were transposed into society in the form of a hierarchical system in which political, economic and religious power was under the auspices of male gender representatives, and social and family relationships were outlined around the concept of subjugation of women, the so-called „patriarchal society” in which roles in society were clearly defined, and deviations from archaic norms were sanctioned with public opprobrium. The role of women in society is a topic that has been intensely debated in the last century, especially in the West, where the cultural model of the obedient housewife has been supplanted by the feminist view that men and women are intellectually and spiritually equal. and are in equal positions in society, and the archaic roles are no longer admissible in a context where a unitary evolution of society is desired, an evolution that cannot be achieved by maintaining a discriminatory system, inconsistent with the fundamental principles of human rights. On the other hand, in certain areas of the East, archaic social and family models dominated by men are still preserved. The issue of women's rights in Islamic society is a current topic, the Islamic feminist movement catching echoes in most Muslim states, but also in the West, where equality activists have brought to the attention of international public opinion the situation of respect for women's rights.