ROLE OF JAMAAT IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

RESEARCH METHODS IN ECONOMICS

MERIAM VANDANA ALEX

11-PEC-009

Project Guide: Dr. Oscar C. Nigli M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

LOYOLA COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS)

CHENNAI 600 034

October 2012

Dr. Oscar C. Nigli

M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D.

Department of Economics,

Loyola College (Autonomous),

Chennai – 600 034.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work on Research in ‘ROLE OF JAMAAT IN

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT’ is a bonafide work of Ms. Meriam Vandana alex (11-

PEC-009) of Economics Department, Loyola College (Autonomous), Chennai – 34,

during the period of study in the Academic year 2012-2013.

(Dr. Oscar C. Nigli)

DECLARATION

I solemnly declare that this project work of Research Method in Economics on

ROLE OF JAMAAT IN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT is an original work of mine and

does not form part of any previous Certificate/Diploma/Degree.

Place:

Date:

(MERIAM VANDANA ALEX)

Acknowledgement

I want to thank whole heartedly to our Research Methods in Economics Professor from the Department of Economics, Dr. Oscar C. Nigli M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D. who has been very active in motivating me and for his valuable guidance and advice.

I want to thank Loyola College and the Department of Economics who has taken the incentive to introduce this subject. Lastly I want to thank our fellow class mates who have always supported me.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION1.1 THE TOPIC1.2 BACKGROUND1.3 THE WOMEN JAMAAT

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE3. DESIGN OF THE STUDY

3.1 OBJECTIVES3.2 METHODOLOGY

4. ANALYSIS4.1 SOCIAL STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN4.2 HEALTH STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN4.3 ECONOMIC STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN4.4 EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN4.5 WHY JAMAAT?4.6 STRUCTURE OF WOMEN JAMAAT4.7 FUNCTIONS

5. CASE STUDIES6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1 IMPACT OF EMERGENCE OF TAMIL NADU MUSLIM WOMEN6.2 FUTURE PLANS OF TAMIL NADU MUSLIM WOMEN JAMAAT

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE TOPIC

Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of

individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their

own capacities.

Empowerment is probably the totality of the following or similar capabilities:

Having decision-making power of their own.

Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision.

Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no, either/or.).

Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making

Having positive thinking on the ability to make change

Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group power.

Ability to change others’ perceptions by democratic means.

Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated

Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma

Empowerment of women, also called gender empowerment, has become a significant topic of

discussion in regards to development and economics. Entire nations, businesses, communities,

and groups can benefit from the implementation of programs and policies that adopt the notion

of women empowerment. Empowerment is one of the main procedural concerns when

addressing human rights and development. The Human Development and Capabilities

Approach, The Millennium Development Goals, and other credible approaches/goals point to

empowerment and participation as a necessary step if a country is to overcome the obstacles

associated with poverty and development.

Dependent women are not empowered women. If women think just that being highly educated

and employed they are empowered, it is a myth. Women have to awake from deep slumber and

understand the true meaning of empowerment. Everyone must understand that empowering

women doesn’t mean empowering them in technical area only. Women should remember that

they are also rational, intelligent and thinking human beings. Dependent women are not

empowered women. If women think just that being highly educated and employed they are

empowered, it is a myth.

Of the 1.3 billion people who live in absolute poverty around the globe, 70 percent are women.

For these women, poverty doesn’t just mean scarcity and want. It means rights denied,

opportunities curtailed and voices silenced.

1.2 BACKGROUND

The term ‘Jamaat’ means an assembly. Jamaats are Islamic councils which deal with family

disputes. Only men conduct investigations and interrogations while also cooperating with

police and courts. Women are not even permitted to appear before a Jamaat. Even cases that

directly concern them should be represented by a man.

1.3 MUSLIM WOMEN JAMAAT

When one looks through Jamaat cases, it is always in favour of men. In this way, each

woman is victimized by the Jaamat representatives in favor of powerful male chauvinism.

Muslim women members of STEPS from Tamil Nadu have felt the need for organising a

committee for the redressal of problems of Muslim women. Hence, to take favorable stand

for Muslim women, it became inevitable to form a Muslim women Jamaat committee at the

Tamilnadu state level.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The report is based on a two‐year research project in which we looked at women’s everyday

engagement with religion. We aimed to gain insights into how women conceptualize religion, the

norms and concepts through which they understand what it means to be religious and the manner

in which these concepts and ideals are brought to bear on the construction of the feminine self.

The research focused on three arenas of women’s understanding of themselves as women and

Muslim. These arenas are purdah, sexuality  ‐ by which we mean male female relations  ‐  and

freedom and rights. From the research findings we argue that women have moved towards a

textually‐based learning and interpretation of Islam, as opposed to engaging with Islam as a form

of knowledge passed down from earlier generations.(1)

Until the latter decades of the twentieth century, the question of women’s status and roles in

Muslim cultures and societies was profoundly neglected. Western-inspired studies of the

Muslim world mentioned women in passing, but in stereotyped and sensationalistic ways, while

the bulk of locally produced literature on women in Islam consisted of discussions of the “right”

place of women in society, including, at best, didactic manuals on how to live a pious but

modern life. Serious empirically based social science research on women and sex-disaggregated

data were in short supply. This paucity of rigorous social research began to be remedied in the

late 1970s, and by the late 1980s scholarship about women in Muslim societies had truly taken

off. . (2)

1. Religion and Muslim Women: Trajectories of Empowerment, Samia Huq and Sahida Islam Khondaker, June 2011

2. Women in islamic societies: a selected review of social scientific literature, Priscilla Offenhauer, November 2005,

DESIGN OF THE STUDY

3.1 OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH

To understand the overall conditions of Muslim women in remote villages.

To study how women empowerment is achieved through this organization called Jamaat, their activities and their achievements.

3.2 METHODOLOGY

Primary data comprises of personal interviews and structured questionnaire.

Secondary data comprised of Women Jamaat weekly,website and articles on women empowerment.

Case studies.

ANALYSIS

STATUS / PROBLEMS OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN TAMIL NADU

4.1 SOCIAL STATUS OF THE MUSLIM WOMEN

Islamic tradition is one which respects women. Since the interpreters of these teachings

were mainly males, they gave meaning in keeping with their male chauvinistic thoughts.

Therefore these interpretations do not truly reflect the innermost spiritual content of

Quoran.

Muslim women does not have any forum to address their issues with respect to victimised

women after ‘Talaq’, maintenance of children after divorce, failure of husband to pay

maintenance and bestial behaviour of their husband. Even the male family members of

Muslim women take these issues to Jamaat, Jamaat will not provide justice in favour of

Women.

Payment of ‘Mehar’ is followed only as a custom. When compared to dowry paid, the

‘Mehar’ received is almost negligible. A religious right to women is being interpreted in

a male dominated world and women are being suppressed in the name of religion /

freedom / right.

The abandoned women (after Talaq) have no asylum either from the parents or from in-

laws family. They are denied of social recognition or sympathy.

Eventhough dowry is prohibited in Islam, dowry system is very much in practice in

Muslim Community. It kills the lives of innocent Muslim Women.

4.2 HEALTH STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN

Even today in remote villages where there is no toilet, women can go for nature calls only

in the early morning or in late evening. They should not come out of their house in the

day time. Hence women face lot of health problems. They cannot keep themselves in a

hygiene way.

In Kailpattinam village of Thuthukudi district, there is no toilets available in the houses.

The women as they can not go out side for defecation as men, they defecate inside the

house and throw it into the sea. This is the current status of Muslim women.

There no government hospitals in most of the remote villages in Muslim located area.

Even if a health centre is available doctor is not available all the time. If a doctor is

available, the doctor is not a woman. Because of this problem, lot of young women are

loosing their lives.

The personal hygiene of women and the opportunity to keep themselves clean are very

low. It goes to the extent of taking away the lives of the innocent Muslim Women. If any

insects or snack bits them they cannot even go to the doctor for first aid, as they should

not show their body to a male doctor who is the only doctor available in the village. We

have two examples of death of Muslim women in Elangakurichi of Trichy district, Tamil

Nadu.

4.3 ECONOMIC STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN

Most of the Muslim Women work in beedi industries as daily wage earners. They are

unable to meet their daily needs with the paltry wage they get and end up the debt net.

They pay usurious interest for the money they borrow from money lenders.

The present economical situation with globalisation process, centralized economy and

consumer culture do not help them or allow them to repay what they have borrowed. The

net result is ending up in more borrowing even at higher interest.

Muslim women are engaged in household work and beedi rolling and live in under

conditions of object poverty. Their lives are characterized with illiteracy low paid jobs,

sans security, poverty, occupational hazards, domestic violence such as frequent child

bearing and continuous child rearing and care, negligence of their health rights and very

strong patriarchal religious domination.

4.4 EDUCATION STATUS OF MUSLIM WOMEN

Early marriage, child marriage is one of causes of lower educational level of women,

which seriously affect awareness level of women about the environment, and health

status of Muslim Women. Early Pregnancy and early motherhood lead to a chain of

health problems.

The education of women is very low. Hence they cannot come to the mainstream and get

exposed to the society in general . They confine themselves with domestic work and

beedi rolling. Very few women involved in the production of pappads, pickles and

dresses.

Most of the Muslim girls are not sent to schools after puberty. Because most of the Indian

villages did not have high school education in the village itself. Even if school is

available, the schools do not have female teachers.

In some village schools, there are two entrance in the schools one for the boys and the

other one which goes through the forest or wild roads for the Muslim girls to come.

4.5 WHY WOMEN JAMAAT?

In 1991,STEPS Women’s Development Organisation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO),

in Pudukottai was started with the help of the then District Collector Sheela Rani Chunkath.

STEPS started functioning near the Pudukottai bus stand as a community welfare centre for

women, but eventually it began to handle cases on behalf of battered women. In 2003, a social

worker named Sharifa began to organise a monthly jamaat, or congregation, for Muslim women

under the banner of Tamil Nadu Muslim Women’s Jamaat. This was meant to provide Muslim

women a space for expressing themselves. And since a jamaat is traditionally attached to a

mosque, Sharifa decided to erect a separate mosque for women. The mosque when complete will

be fully managed by women, but will keep its door open for men, she said.

The women’s jamaat is an attempt to challenge the authority of the traditional “jamaat system”

which by and large controls the social life of Muslims. Each mosque elects a group of influential

men from within the community to form what is known as the pallivaasal jamaat. This group,

besides managing the affairs of the mosque, would gather outside the mosque and arbitrate over

community disputes. “The jamaat is more or less like a caste panchayat – functioning at the

behest of powerful men,” said writer and gender rights activist V. Geetha, who has sided with

Sharifa and her movement for the last two decades.

Since the traditional jamaat has no woman representative, no one hears the woman’s version

during a dispute. Often in cases like dowry harassment or domestic violence, the male jamaat

members refused to come to the women’s rescue.

The pallivaasal jamaat survives on chanda (commission) collected annually from the community

members. Families are also expected to pay up separately for religious rituals on occasions of

birth, death and marriage. Individuals and whole families could be declared outcast if they failed

to pay up the commissions. According to Sharifa, jamaat members often thrust their decisions on

women, threatening to “deny them a space even in the burial ground” if they failed to obey their

decrees.

The women’s jamaat handles cases of marital disputes relating to dowry, divorce or domestic

violence. Most women approaching are those who have apparently been denied justice by the

traditional jamaat. There are cases where women are given talaq through e-mails and telegrams

and the jamaat would do nothing to condemn the man. Petitions coming in occasionally from

people of other communities and even men are not turned down here.

In the last 15 years Jamaat has handled about 10,000 petitions from Muslim women alone.

Jamaat members interact with the police and lawyers to ensure speedy resolution of cases.

In 2004, the intervention of women jamaat members led to the suspension of a few police

officers in Annavasal town for “counselling” a rape victim rather than taking action in the case.

A 12-year-old girl employed as a domestic help with a Muslim family in Chennai, Vennila was

raped by her employer. The police dragged the investigation on and when repeated petitions to

the police were ignored, Sharifa and other members of the jamaat staged a dharna in front of the

office of the Superintendent of Police and saw to it that the culprit was brought to book.

The jamaat members are Amazonians in the real sense of the word. The 30,000 Muslim women

who form her support base in Tamil Nadu today are an empowered lot. In the last 10 years,

women Jamaat has mobilized women in ten districts across Tamil Nadu – Trichy, Pudukottai,

Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Nagapattinam, Tuticorin and Perambalur.

Women jamaat leaders in these districts travel to the Muslim residential areas to spread word

about the jamaat. They also mobilise women to oppose the three dominant social evils in Muslim

communities – ex parte divorces (talaq), polygamy and dowry demands during weddings

4.6 STRUCTURE OF WOMEN JAMAAT

The women’s jamaat is structured in the following way :

A state level Muslim women's jamaat functions as a redressal forum in addressing the

issues of Muslim women.

The district-level Muslim women's jamaat addresses these issues locally and brings their

cases to the state-level forum only if necessary.

The district-level jamaat lobbies with local men’s jamaats, works closely with local

community forums, the government and the police.

4.7 THE FUNCTIONS

The women’s jamaat does the following on a regular basis

Campaigns to assert the rights of Muslim women by fasting for one day have been

conducted annually for the past four years.

Workshops on the Sharia, Muslim personal law in India are held regularly, both formally

and informally.

Publishes the magazine Women’s Jamaat.

Conferences on the empowerment of Muslim women have been conducted at least once

a year for the past five years in which scholars of feminism and Islamic feminism

participate.

A set of demands of Muslim women is periodically sent to the government, Muslim

institutions, such as the Wakf board and Muslim Personal Laws Board – these demands

include the abolition of the triple talaq, an end to the practice of giving dowry, the

insistence on meher, and the right of Muslim women to divorce

CASE STUDIES

1) Shahira Begam is a only daughter to her parents who belongs to Melathiruppanthuruthi of

Thanjavur district. She got married to Noor Mohamed in the year 2003, with 25 pounds of gold

jewels and Rs.15, 000/- as dowry. As per the request of bride’s family, Noor Mohamed agreed to

stay with the Shahira Begam’s family. After her marriage, Shahira Begum’s father went abroad.

Noor Mohamed started showing his ugly side by beating his wife; consuming alcohol every night

and life became a curse for Shahira. Moreover, later on it was revealed that Noor Mohamed is a

TB patient. Shahira begam approached the respective Jamaat over this issue. By the time, Jamaat

enquires; Noor Mohamed promised to keep his wife happily. But he was not at all keeping his

promise. Life became a continuous threat to Shahira. She reported his behaviour to the Jamaat.

But they too kept quite. Shahira approached STEPS on 26.06.06 and gave petition. STEPS called

Noor Mohamed for counselling. On 15.07.2006 both the family came for counselling. During the

counselling Noor Mohamed accepted his behaviour and expressed his willingness to live

together with Shahira. But Shahira did not want to give one more chance to test him. She decided

to get Talaq from him. Finally, Noor Mohamed agreed to give talaq to her. But he said he did not

have anything to give to Shahira. Then orally STEPS got oath from them that both of them will

not disturb the other by any means. They were asked to attend the forthcoming Jamaat meeting

on 12.08.06, to finalise their decision and give talaq to Shariha. The issue of Shahira was

discussed during the Jamaat meeting. Shahira and Noor Mohamed were asked to express their

decision. Shahira strongly demanded talaq from him. As Noor Mohamed also agreed to give

talaq, Tamil Nadu Women Jamaat has decided to give Talaq through the Women’s Jamaat.

Women Jamaat has decided to send a letter to Melathiruppanthuruthi Jamaat over Noor

Mohamed’s Talaq to Shahira. While addressing this, STEPS could understand the boldness and

braveness within Shahira, which was disguised within her for years together. She has been

tolerating everything for three years, giving chances to her husband to show a lovable face

towards her. When she understood it was not possible, she was courageous enough to face the

future by herself without him.

2) Akila Banu belongs to Annavasal block of Pudukottai district. She was married to Al Ameen

in Manaparai. She has 1½ year old son. She was conceived twin baby which was naturally

aborted. She was admitted in a private hospital run by Dr. Chinnathurai. He took treatment for

her and discharged her with the medical report. By seeing the medical report the entire family said that

Akila has AIDS. They send her to her mother’s house. No body from the husband’s family turns back

towards her. Akila’s mother Rajathiamma, went to government hospital and private hospital and took

medical examination. All the reports said that Akila is not having AIDS. Hence she wanted to take action

against person who talked ill her daughter. She approached the Jamaat to take action against her son in

law and family. But the Jamaat did not take any action either they question them or to make Akila to live

with her husband. She approached STEPS to take action against them. STEPS has written letter to her

husband’s family to come for counselling. They have approached STEPS and strongly said that Akila is

having AIDS. Then Akila and her husband family were taken to Keeranur Al women police station for

enquiry. As Al Ameen belonged to Manaparai, the case was transferred to Manaparai All Women’s

Police Station. In Manaparai police station, Al Ameed showed the medical report given in Manaparai

which shows HIV + for Akila. Akila and her mother were annoyed by the report. They have lost

all the hope for Akila’s life. But STEPS team members expressed shared the result of the

medical test taken in Pudukottai. Then the women police carefully watched the report given in

Manaparai. It was misunderstood by everyone by their carelessness that the report shows that

Akila’s blood group is ‘O +’ and not HIV positive. Then the police regretted for their

carelessness and scolded Al Ameen for insulting his wife. Then STEPS staff called the blood

testing laboratory in Manaparai and enquired about the Akila’s report. They too have confirmed

that Akila’s blood group is O +. Then the information was shared with the STEPS Director over

phone and she requested Akila and Al Ameen to take blood test again to verify the doubt. As the

testing in Manaparai was not good, both of them were taken to a hospital in Trichy for blood test.

Then the test report was taken to Manaparai police station and it shows HIV – for both of them.

Al Ameen too felt sorry for his behaviour. Rajathiamma, wanted to take action against his son in

law, for wounding the feeling of his wife. But considering the life of Akila and her son,

counselling was made for Akila and her husband to live together without any difference of

opinion with each other. Now they are living together. Rajathiamma was inspired by the

activities of STEPS and she became one of the women Jamaat members. She is regularly

attending the Jamaat meeting and decided to work for the lives of other Muslim women

CONCLUSION

6.1 IMPACT OF THE EMERGENCE OF TAMIL NADU MUSLIM WOMEN'S JAMAAT

The emergence of Tamil Nadu Muslim women’s jamaat is considered a historical event in the

era of the Muslim community. This has paved the way for reforms within the Muslim religious

institutions at the state level and national level. Some of the maleheaded jamaats have started

looking at themselves and are more conscious in addressing the issues of Muslim women. When

they know that one petition has reached the women’s jamaat, they come forward to provide

justice by themselves. They do not want any women to go and approach a women’s jamaat to

address the problems. Today, we have men, especially poor, working-class men coming forward

to women’s jamaat and showing solidarity to the efforts of STEPS and women's jamaat in

empowering Muslim women. The men who have understood the true purpose of women’s jamaat

are proud to be part of women’s jamaat and render their whole-hearted support to it. The Muslim

religious institutions in different names conducted bayans in the past on religious subjects; or

they called these meetings to lecture women about how they should behave. Today, this has

changed – bayans talk of International Women’s Day, issues of talaq, dowry and the upholding

of Islam. The functioning of women’s jamaat / federation has attracted worldwide attention and

jamaat representatives are being called to address meetings organized by feminists or women’s

groups in different parts of the world.

What consequence federation would ensure

Muslim Women will be freed from the cleric-controlled jamaats

Muslim Women will get a new social space within the Muslim society

Number of one-sided Talaqs will be reduced.

This federation will help propagate education and health among Muslim Women

The federation will help Muslim women to get together and vent their feelings.

Internal control systems should be evolved properly to control the activities of the

existing jamaats (the process has started now itself).

Threats before Jamaat – the present scenario

A woman is being victimised, not only by physical violence, but also by character

assassination of the women which psychologically affects the woman. The women

involved in the process of forming the federation are subject to this torture.

Death threats are before Jamaat from the religious leaders, as if Jamaat is engaged in un-

Islamic practice, and favouring other religion.

Lives of Muslim women who want to engage in the process of formation of the

federation are under pressure and Jamaat need to create hospice to them throughout their

life time in the interest of the Muslim community. This becomes an additional

commitment of Jamaat apart from the federation.

Actictivities of Jamaat towards Women federation are labelled as if Jamaat is under the

pressure of some political party in favour of other religion.

Financial crisis faced by the Jamaat team in the formation of federation. Even though the

members of Jamaat can raise upto the heights of the sky, their activities towards

Women’s federation is restricted by the money instrument.

6.2 FUTURE PLANS OF TAMIL NADU MUSLIM WOMEN’S JAMAAT

From the beginning, jamaat members have been interested in building a mosque for women. This

is a long-term objective. The mosque for Muslim women would combine a prayer hall for

Muslim women, a centre for destitute women, a children’s home for Muslim girls, a work space

where women and children are taught a skill, a craft etc. It includes a counseling centre with

women's jamaat for adjudicating the problems of Muslim women. Jamaat members also wish to

tackle poverty in the community and encourage female literacy and campaigns against early

marriage. To this end, they wish to set up a corpus fund that will assist Muslim women in

starting small businesses, train them in modern technology and allow them to be both

economically and socially independent.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

1. Women empowerment, R.L. Panigrahy,20062. Women , Education and  Empowerment ,D.Bhaskara Rao, Digumarti Pushpa Latha ,1999 3. NGOs in India: The Challenges of Women's Empowerment, Patrick Kilby,2011

WORKING PAPERS

1. Religion and Muslim Women: Trajectories of Empowerment- Samia Huq   and Sahida Islam Khondaker –june 2011

2. Kijeif;oAIFI

JOURNALS

1. Frontline-Volume 25-issue 08 April 12-25, 20082. Outlook-August 09, 2004

WEBSITES

1. www.stepswomenjamaat.org/2. www.wikipedia.com