The Concept of Gender Equity and its Relation to Women’s Employment in Sri Lanka: An Islamic Perspective

Abstract

Islam was the first religion to introduce the concept of gender equity, emphasising justice and balanced rights between men and women. However, its practical application remains uneven across many Muslim societies. This issue is particularly evident in minority-Muslim contexts such as Sri Lanka’s Ampara District, where Muslim women often face challenges in applying Islamic gender equity in the workplace due to cultural norms, misinterpretations of religious teachings, and limited awareness of their Islamic rights. The central research problem highlights a significant discrepancy between the theoretical “Islamic equity doctrine” and the lived professional experiences of these women. Despite the economic rights guaranteed under Shari‘ah, female public sector employees encounter systemic challenges rooted in limited religious literacy and conservative socio-cultural expectations. The primary objectives of this research are to analyse the perceptions of professional Muslim women regarding Islamic employment guidelines and to evaluate the extent to which the concept of Islamic equity is implemented in their daily professional lives. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study employed purposive sampling and conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with fourteen professional Muslim women, including university lecturers, medical doctors, and engineers. Data were managed using QSR NVivo 10 and analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns and structural barriers. The findings reveal that participants primarily enter the workforce due to economic necessity and localised dowry pressures, often selecting Shari‘ah-compliant roles that accommodate Islamic modesty. While these women prioritise domestic responsibilities and adhere to religious dress codes, they experience a pronounced “double burden” alongside institutional barriers such as male-centric promotion biases and excessive workloads. The study concludes that the professional landscape in the Ampara District reflects a form of “negotiated equity” rather than a full realisation of Islamic doctrine. Consequently, bridging this gap requires institutional policy reforms that align workplace environments with Islamic principles of justice and mutual respect, ensuring that professional advancement is not constrained by cultural misconstructions or structural inequities.

Keywords: Ampara District; gender equity; Islamic perspective; women’s employment; women’s perception