Organization for Islamic Cooperation

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Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Women Empowerment in the Muslim World
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
I. Topic Background
Many factors contribute to gender discrimination in Muslim countries with religion being the major cause of this controversy. These believers associate themselves with the Qur’an, written after 632 CE and believed to be given to Muhammad through God, relying on its “divine messages” (Quran). Women in Muslim countries strive to establish an increase of equal rights caused by sexist interpretations of their religious texts. Islamic feminists argue that the religion practiced in their countries calls for equality of both genders and these assertions can be found in already present Islamic values. Socio-cultural opinions have hindered this feminist movement as conservatives attempt to regress towards a more traditional perspective of the Quran. Local and religious leaders have worked to avoid secularism and political leaders enforce traditional cultural laws in countries where Islam is the most prominent religion (Coleman). Muslim conservatives deny the equal status of women and keep them from obtaining basic rights such as the ability to exercise any political involvement in their communities, freedom to marry at will, and liberty to enroll in education systems (Rights). Defining what is the correct interpretation of the Quran and the topic of western influence has led to heated debates in the political spheres, contributing to continuous questioning of the true status of women in society.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap 2013 Muslim countries are among the weakest struggling to decrease gender disparity (Parvez). However, women confront different levels of equality depending on ...

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...g/News/RegionalConference_AdvancingGE.html>.
16. “The Rights of Muslim Women”. Middle East Forum. Web. 21 February 2014.
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17. “10 Situations which highlight why educating women is vital in Pakistan”. The Express Tribune Blogs. Web. 19 February 2014.
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18.“Topic Background”. Berkeley Model United Nations. Web. 11 February 2014. http://bmun.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/OIC.pdf 19. “What, Why, How”. Invest in Muslim Women. Web. February 19 2014.
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20. “Women’s Rights in Muslim-Majority Countries”. The Clarion Project. Web. 23 February
2014.
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