Gender and Sexuality in Islam: An Interface of Patriarchy, Religion and Customary Practices

This paper discusses some of the dominant discourses on women’s body and sexuality besides other structural and institutional factors which impact on women’s sexual rights and sexuality and the interplay between these factors and Islam. Also the focus is on the way women’s sexuality is constructed in Islam through various interpretations of the text (Qur’an and hadith), and how the traditional/customary practices curb women’s body and sexuality. The paper also highlights the issues and challenges for women’s movement in Muslim countries in raising the issue of women’s sexuality and reproductive rights. These issues are important mainly for two reasons: firstly, the emergence of conservative forces using religion to curb women’s rights and secondly, cultural or customary practices are overriding the textual Islam and thus, depriving women of their rights. The paper is mainly based on secondary sources.