On March 2, 2016 KARAMAH met with two amazing Muslim women leaders Ms. Sithy Aneesa Firthous from Sri Lanka and Ms. Aisha Hussain Rasheed from the Maldives. KARAMAH routinely hosts delegations from around the world, using these meetings as a platform to educate about Islam— our core mission. During this visit, our guests particularly wanted to learn from KARAMAH how we advance issues of human rights, particularly gender equity, in an environment that is not open to that narrative.
In our meeting, we collectively discussed barriers and challenges that we face to our work. That said, the message was clear: Muslim women are seeking knowledge of Islam and are committed to changing their societies from within the tradition. KARAMAH shared with the guests our research on these issues—something that has taken over two decades to develop.
Unfortunately, the meeting was not only a sharing of resources. Both of our guests shared with us the major issues impacting Muslim women in their respective communities. Our sister from Sri Lanka shared the troubling situation that many in her community are facing—the lack of access to sacred spaces particularly the mosque, domestic violence and the growing number of women dropping out from the university where women wearing scarfs are denied to pursue their education.
In the Maldives, political unrest continues to impact the rights of women. Many women who have been involved in protests have been marginalized and abused. KARAMAH shared with Ms. Aisha Hussain Rasheed our work in the Maldives.
KARAMAH is committed to systemic change in the Maldives, and we started our work there by providing a week long set of workshops on Islamic law issues ranging from the Islamic worldview, the marriage contract, financial rights for women, and divorce in Islam. We also worked with lawyers on issues of domestic violence and the Women’s Protection Bill.
KARAMAH’s education efforts in the Maldives reached a variety of sectors including the public through an open lecture at the main mosque in Male, lawyers, judges, and advocates. Because of our efforts, we have successfully recruited two amazing lawyers to our annual Law and Leadership Summer Program. Both women are doing excellent work in their community. The Maldives remains a strategic priority for KARAMAH and we believe that through our alumnae, we can truly affect change.
After speaking with both of our guests, KARAMAH was motivated, yet again, to continuing our work. We are heartened by the number of women and activists around the world who share our vision of a just society through education. Please do check out their work and their efforts.
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