Gender and Islam in Indonesia

Seminar with Monika Arnez, ERASMUS visiting professor

In contrast to other countries with a Muslim majority, Indonesia is considered to be moderate with regard to its gender orders. Many women have an income of their own, in many communities they are owners of property, and they have respected positions in clan structures. However, the role of women in Islam is contested, and there are different ways of how gender and Islam play out in debates about women’s agency.

This lecture looks at the multiple ways in which Muslim female women construct their religious identity and position themselves in their surroundings.