Who Provides? Who Cares? Changing Dynamics in Muslim Families

Musawah believes that a transformation of family relationships is necessary and possible from within Muslim tradition. We can shift our understanding of spousal and family relationships from one based on a hierarchical understanding of qiwamah – understood as men’s authority over women – to one based on equal partnerships within families, where both spouses share responsibilities and rights in standing up for their families.

This thematic paper examines economic and parental rights and responsibilities in Muslim families using the holistic Musawah approach, which integrates Islamic teachings, international human rights principles, national guarantees of equality, and realities of women’s and men’s lives today. It builds on a long-term and multi-faceted research project that Musawah has been working on since 2010 on the issue of male authority in Muslim legal tradition.