Musawah is an advocacy group focused on the Muslim family worldwide. The group was officially founded in February of 2009 at a Global Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with over 250 men and women from 50 countries attending. One member of the movement described the conversations at the initial conference being centered around “wrestling Islam back from the men who use it against us” (Mona Eltahawy). Musawah as an organization argues for reform from multiple approaches: Islamic sources, including Muslim jurisprudence; international human rights standards; national laws and constitutional guarantees of equality; and lived realities of women and men. Moreover, Musawah embodies the idea that women can locate their activism, their feminism, and their demands for justice and equality in both Islamic and human rights frameworks.
- To build and share knowledge that supports equality and justice in the Muslim family using a holistic approach that combines Islamic principles and jurisprudence, international human rights standards, national laws and constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination, and the lived realities of women and men.
- To build a critical mass of organizations, groups, and individuals who are empowered to engage in the public discourse on Islam and women's rights.
- To support the work of human rights mechanisms as well as groups and individuals working with these processes at the international, regional, and national levels to advance equality and justice in the Muslim family.
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Religious and cultural barriers
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Sharia Law
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The Veil
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Women who are considered too outspoken on women’s rights can expect severe reprisals from the state or society
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Scrutiny from the West
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Must prioritize the narratives of Muslim women
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