Contestations of Feminism, Secularism and Religion in the West: The Discursive Othering of Religious and Secular Women

Abstract

Secular and religious women have a history of fighting for women's rights and gender equality. Yet, contemporary feminist and women's movements in the West are largely understood as secular, and as rejecting religion, and religion is often perceived as the antithesis of empowerment and emancipation. In this article I problematise the relationship between feminism, secularism and religion via a discussion of secular feminist views on women and religion, and religious women's views on secular feminism. Bringing together previously separate strands of work, this article provides an original analysis of how both secular feminist women and non-feminist religious women engage in discursive articulations of Othering, constructing inferior subjects who are (dis-)placed outside the boundary of 'women like us'. Such discursive representations, which are rooted in perceptions of feminism and religion as unitary and static, contribute to the construction and maintenance of sharp boundaries between secular and religious women, thus hindering the potential for dialogue and collaboration in support of women's rights and gender equality.

Epistemic Violence and Colonial Legacies in the Representation of Refugee Women: Contesting Narratives of Vulnerability and Victimhood

“…Whilst most religions are systemically dominated by men and have patriarchal structures, religious beliefs are not necessarily incompatible with feminist convictions. Western feminism’s dominant view that views religion as an antithesis to feminism has been challenged by cultural relativists, who highlight the role played by religious organisations in enhancing female emancipation (Hua, 2010; Nyhagen, 2019). Brown (2012) even believes that, in some cases, secularism can be a barrier to female empowerment in certain contexts.…”

European Muslim Youth and Gender (in)Equality Discourse: Towards a More Critical Academic Inquiry

“…It is an important consideration as, generally, both Muslim minorities and women are not groups that are associated with hegemonic political or social power in Europe. Gender roles and the equality thereof are emphasized in the literature studying Muslim youth of migrant origin, despite feminist scholarship increasingly recognizing that both religious and secular values can shape gender inequal or equal ideologies (Nyhagen 2019). With the assertion that most religions encroach on the rights of women, the rights of European Muslim women have been the topic of debates regarding citizenship or immigration.…”

What Your Country Can Do for You: A Typology of Religious Feminist Strategies

“…This includesbut is not limited tothe religious authorities recognized by a given state. 3 This position has been questioned by a number of recent studies see for example : Nyhagen, 2019;Llewellyn, D. and Trzebiatowska, M., 2013. 4 Such as (but not limited to) Alice Miller vs. the Minister of Defence and others (4541/94); Leah Shakdiel vs. the Minister of Religious Affairs and others (153/87).…”

“…As noted, a considerable amount of scholarship dealing with religion and gender assumes that gender equality is incompatible with the state endorsement of religion and demands from the state regarding intervention in this field are illegitimate (Nyhagen, 2019). For example, Stopler (2005) described the conflict between the various components of the religion-gender-state relationship and sees religion as a threat to women's rights.…”

“…Religion is always a negative influence and must not be part of the equation. 3 Additional scholarship has highlighted the tension between religious and secular feminists and between religious women and feminismreal or imagined (Ozcetin, 2009;Nyhagen 2019;Llewellyn and Trzebiatowska, 2013).…”