Women's Education and Training: The Islamic Perspective and Global Concepts

عورت کی تعلیم وتربیت: اسلامی نقطۂ نظر اور عالمی تصورات

Abstract

Education and upbringing are the foundation and most vital means for the progress of any society. When it comes to women’s education and training, its impact extends far beyond the reformation of the individual—it influences the entire family unit, social structure, and the behavioral patterns of future generations. A woman is the pillar of society, who nurtures generations through love, guidance, understanding, and sacrifice. Therefore, women’s education and upbringing are not merely personal advancements but rather processes that serve collective welfare. Various civilizations, religions, and social systems have approached women’s education and upbringing from different perspectives. In some societies, women have been confined solely to domestic roles, while in others, under the banner of freedom and equality, they have been deprived of their natural identity and feminine dignity. The Islamic perspective offers a balanced, moderate, and natural path between these two extremes. Islam makes education obligatory for both men and women and grants women the same educational rights as men. Furthermore, Islam does not limit women’s education to intellectual or scientific knowledge alone but connects it with moral, spiritual, social, and practical responsibilities. Islamic teachings associate a woman’s education with character-building, modesty, understanding of religion, noble conduct, and societal duties. An educated woman is not merely a successful individual, but also a conscious mother, a responsible mentor, and a protector of moral values. She lays the foundation for a society built upon peace, love, sacrifice, and justice. On the other hand, modern global concepts often define women’s education in terms of economic independence, gender equality, and personal freedom. While these goals may have significance in certain contexts, when education is stripped of the element of moral and spiritual training, the result is a woman who may be intellectually capable but spiritually vacant—unable to truly understand herself or guide future generations. In the Western model, women may appear to enjoy full rights, yet their lives are increasingly devoid of balance, peace, and inner contentment. When education is detached from femininity and reduced to merely a tool for economic or scientific progress, it loses its true essence. This article has been structured on the premise of evaluating women’s education and upbringing through the lens of both Islamic and global ideologies. It aims to explore which system empowers women intellectually, morally, and practically while honoring their natural roles. The goal is not merely a comparative analysis, but to highlight a thoughtful awareness—one that places a woman’s educational and nurturing role at the heart of building a dignified, cultured, and balanced society.