Muslim women chart their future course in a manifesto

Over a period of time women from the community have expressed the need for such a move among themselves. At a two-day meeting held in the city in December, 40 to 50 women converged from Nagpur, Bihar, Delhi and Bhopal apart from Mumbai to discuss pressing issues

MUMBAI: A group of young Muslim women, under the banner of Secular Young Muslim Women’s Collective, published their manifesto with their demands in the lead-up to the general elections on Thursday. Sabah Khan, co-founder of Parcham Collective, a football programme that brings Muslim and non-Muslim girls together to learn the sport, and a member of the Collective, said, “Our aim is not only to pitch the needs of our community to political parties, but also assert our identity as secular feminist young Muslim women – visible and confident enough to voice our demands.”

Group members present the manifesto on Thursday. (HT pHoto)

Over a period of time women from the community have expressed the need for such a move among themselves. At a two-day meeting held in the city in December, 40 to 50 women converged from Nagpur, Bihar, Delhi and Bhopal apart from Mumbai to discuss pressing issues. That is when the collective was formed. Participants belonged to various social organisations from across the country.

“We are unhappy with the lack of political participation and representation of women from the community. Attention is given only to men while women are relegated as the ‘oppressed’ lot,” said Sabah, calling the meeting an exercise in conscience building and political awakening. “We should not forget Begum Aizaz Rasul, a Muslim woman and a member of the constituent assembly.”

The group continued its meetings online over the next few weeks, when the manifesto was developed. Its basis was the Sachar Commission Report, which called attention to the inequality faced by Indian Muslims, as well as the members’ life experiences.

“My work with communities has revealed that Muslims lag behind in education due to financial constraints. While the quality of government education is questionable, private institutes are unaffordable. With the reduction of private schools under RTE, there will be even fewer opportunities. Girls lose out more, as the education of boys is prioritised,” said Farhat Khan, a football coordinator at Parcham. “This creates a vicious cycle, as they then grow up to get jobs in the informal sector which does not pay well with limited scope for growth.”

Highlights of the manifesto are: demands in education, shifting government funding from religious institutions to educational ones, investing in public libraries, sports and scholarships. It also calls attention to deprivation in many Muslim majority areas, rife with poverty, lacking in basic services of health, water and electricity.

It also dwells on the fear among the minorities, in the face of increasing communal violence, compromising secularism. Members also dipped into their personal experiences. Farhat said: “With inter-religious relationships being characterised as calculated, many in the group were compelled to end their relationships than face an imminent backlash.”

The manifesto has a section on gender-just laws, that neither glorify nor demonise the Muslim Personal Law. While members agree that triple talaq must be abolished, they feel the law should not criminalise Muslim men. It recommends a “no-fault divorce” law, equal share of property to men and women in inheritance, revoking the notice period required for the Special Marriage Act, and more.

“We have started a process. There’s no stopping now,” she added.