The whipping of a 13-year-old girl by the village head of Padang village, South Sulawesi, shockingly epitomized the increasing political use of Islam to spread discriminatory regulations in parts of Indonesia. She was (wrongly) accused of being in the company of an unrelated male person –a new punishable offence. In its research process, WEMC partner Solidaritas Perempuan Anging Mammiri (SP-SPAM) found that since the launch of the “Muslim Village Project” in Padang village, local government at regency and village levels had implemented various regulations and laws that incorporated Syariah principles. Most of these regulations were aimed at controlling women’s behaviour, mobility and space. The most severe form of control is the implementation of the “whipping law” (hukum cambuk), which made whipping a punishment for women found conducting “sexual relations outside of marriage”(zina). This includes talking to an unrelated male at night. This regulation is one of the concrete manifestations of the influence of Islamic fundamentalist forces in the region. Together with other women’s groups in South Sulawesi, SPAM rallied for the repeal of the “whipping law”, arguing that it contradicted the constitution, national laws and Indonesia’s international and national commitments on women’s rights. The campaign culminated in the provincial governor issuing an edict to village leaders to stop discriminatory regulations – another step towards ending the trend of legitimizing women’s disempowerment in the name of religion.

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Research on Hanji Township, Linxia showed the need for action to address three community issues: unemployment, the impact of environmental degradation on the residents’ health, and the growing divide among Han Chinese and those Muslims who belong to an inceasingly influential austere Islam (xin pai). Muslim women in the impoverished Hanji township in western China, adhering to traditional ideas of division of labour between the sexes, are confined at home. Isolated and neglected – the women lacked access to health care, education, a basic livelihood, as well interaction with non-Muslim women. Over the years, the Alliance of Muslim and Non-Muslim Professional Women was formed. After many discussions on the WEMC approach emphasising empowerment ‘from the inside out’, a strategy was laid out. Set up as an accessible shop open to the public, the Good Day Centre (Hao Rizi Zhongxin) was established, providing a “safe space” enabling Muslim and non-Muslim women to share experiences and concerns. More importantly, it is a place where women can obtain information and help, for example, in accessing health care.

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While doing field work in Moach Goth, Karachi, the Shirkat Gah(SG) research team met Humaira Bachal, an extraordinary young girl who started her own school. SG decided to explore and document her process of sustaining and organizing the school and its profound impact on the community. Keeping in mind that education is a key factor in women’s empowerment in most of SG’s research sites, interviews were conducted with Humaira; her mother, who was a key source of encouragement and support for her; the students and teachers of the school; their parents and other community members.Humairah Bachal knew she was a lucky girl - the only one among her friends to go to school. But the privilege bothered Humairah and so, in fifth grade, she decided to teach young girls in her slum neighbourhood, who were not allowed to attend school, by sharing with them what she learned in class every day. Despite initial social boycott and opposition from her male relatives, Humairah’s ‘Replication School’ is now educating more than 700 students – boys as well as girls. Today, after five years, it has 15 young teachers – 13 girls and 2 boys – all of whom continue to go to school as they educate others.

Watch the documentary “A Small Dream”, chronicling Humairah’s school project, produced by WEMC partner Shirkat Gah »