Women's Empowerment between Global Frameworks and Islamic Legislation: Toward Justice beyond Formal Equality

This paper, originally drafted in 1997 and thoroughly updated in 2025, examines the evolving discourse on women’s empowerment through the lenses of global policy frameworks and Islamic legislation. It situates the discussion within a historical context, highlighting how Islamic inheritance laws revolutionized pre-Islamic customs that excluded women entirely from inheritance, and how classical jurists consistently framed these laws as rooted in justice rather than strict numerical equality. Drawing on contemporary debates, the paper analyzes critiques of Islamic inheritance and presents the views of modern scholars who defend its fairness by linking financial rights with corresponding responsibilities. At the global level, the study engages with frameworks such as CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while addressing the widespread reservations expressed by Muslim-majority and culturally conservative states regarding family law and religious considerations. Policy recommendations emphasize Shari‘a-compatible reforms, family-centered empowerment strategies, and culturally legitimate pathways to expand women’s opportunities. The paper concludes that sustainable empowerment requires balancing universal human rights norms with local legitimacy, affirming that justice—rather than mechanical equality—offers the most effective foundation for advancing the dignity, agency, and well-being of women and girls worldwide.