Don't undermine role of Muslim women in society - Turkish Deputy Minister

As women make up almost half of the Muslim population, their role in society should not be undermined, said Turkey's Deputy Minister of Family and Social Policies, Assoc Prof Dr Askin Asan. She said Muslim women, especially the younger generation, should be given equal opportunities in all aspects of their lives. "We should eliminate barriers and pave the way for equal participation and representation of young Muslim women in the social, political and economic sectors." Asan said this in her talk on 'The Role of Young Muslim Women in Policy Development and Decision Making' at the 3rd International Model of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IMOIC) Summit recently. She stressed that Muslim women should emerge as active participants in the political, economic, social, cultural and spiritual spheres, and they should be treated as "equal human beings". However, she noted that sometimes, women themselves were responsible for creating barriers. "We hold ourselves back because of our lack of confidence; we dont raise our hands and we pull back instead of moving forward," she told the youth leaders who came from over 40 OIC countries to participate in the summit. Asan pointed out that during the early Islamic period, women were powerful and participated actively in religious, political, social, educational and intellectual programmes. "In the past, women were determined to preserve traditions and disseminate knowledge. They were ready to challenge the authorities if they went against the Quran or the prophetic legacy." She said that in Turkey, legal arrangements pertaining to women's rights, including the elimination of violence against women, had been put in place. "According to the amendments, women and men have equal rights. However, women still need to work very hard since there are very few women in influential and senior positions." Asan said that Nordic countries had recorded the highest percentage of women's involvement in the national parliaments which stood at 42 per cent, while Asia recorded 18.5 per cent and Arab states, at 13.8 per cent. Nordic countries comprise Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Prof Datuk Seri Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin, rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), said women should go for higher studies and men should learn to accept women as their equal partners. "If you are currently in Malaysia and aspire to become an OIC leader, you will reach your goal. I hope that in the next thirty years, you will become the president of your respective countries," she said. The global summit was organised by the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC), an international institution affiliated to the OIC, and IIUM.