Female leadership ignored in Muslim countries [Archives:2007/1072/Last Page]
July 30 2007
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In a study on “Understanding Leadership in Muslim Countries,” the American School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont examined Yemen and five other Muslim countries to evaluate how Islamic communities understand leadership for both males and females, with a focus on the latter.
The study aimed to specify the main character traits of a leader in a Muslim country. Does a woman have the qualities needed to be a leader? Does she deserve such an important role in her society? Such questions were discussed in a focus group exercise twice with two different groups, consisting of 8-12 participants each. One group was all female, the other group both male and female leaders.
Kawtar Zrwalli is a university professor and researcher on leadership in Muslim countries. She explained that she would like to learn about female leaders' point of view in particular. A special female focus group is needed to garner an understanding amongst women of the main characteristics of a leader.
Islam gave a woman the chance to assume a leadership role, but men try to minimize a woman's role in building her community, either inside or outside her house. “There is misunderstanding of the Islamic instructions about women's leadership and this leads to neglect of the special role of a woman as a leader,\” Khadiga Radman
