Making The ‘Invisible’ Visible: A Policy Centric Approach to Corroborate Emancipation of Muslim Women in Mainstream

Abstract

No nation can prosper if its women and minorities remain on the periphery. Government report indicates that the condition of Muslim women is precarious in terms of literacy, finance, jobs, and political emancipation. Muslims are the biggest minority group in India, and the proportion of Muslim women in India is higher than the proportion of women in many Islamic nations. However, Muslim women lack sufficient authority to take advantage of growth and the constitutionally granted basic rights compared to women of other faiths. Also, it is anticipated that Muslim women in India have the potential to propel development, if exclusively patronized by the state on lines of SCs, STs and OBCs. Being a minority within minority and the victim of multiple biases, it is a fact that Muslim women in India are less powerful and have a worse social standing than men and women from other faiths. Contrary to this, Indian Muslim women are keen to ameliorate their conditions and make a mark in national development, but clearly lack subtle state patronization and only garner government attention on trivial issues like ‘Triple Talaq’ or ‘Hijab’. This paper, being policy oriented in nature, will zero in on multifaceted challenges faced by the largest neglected minority and the steps to be ensured at policy level to empower them. Linking Muslim women with the national mainstream will not only empower India as a nation, but rather address prominent SDGs in which India is performing poorly.