Women’s Education in India: Are We Doing Enough?

– Sabahat Mariyam M
Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Did you know that the population of women in India is about 698 million, of which 91.95% of women get educated, with only about 48% getting a graduate degree, and about 39.6% being able to go to work after their graduation?

Isn’t it ironic when the first university was built by a woman? She was Fathima Al-Fihri, Founder of Al-Qarawiyyin University. She says, “Knowledge is the light that guides us to truth and service.”

Knowledge is a key component for existence and survival. It teaches us the difference between the good and the bad, the right and the wrong. Islam teaches us just that, imagine the importance that gaining knowledge must hold as the first verse that Allah had revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was:

Allah did not specify the gender; rather, it was a command for all, Both Men and Women, to read in the name of Allah.

Islamic Foundation of Women’s Education

“To educate a woman is to educate a nation,” quoted by Nana Asma’u, a 19th-century Islamic scholar of Nigeria. It is true that we realise that a well-educated woman in the house can bring prosperity and happiness to her family. But the question is, are we educating our women well enough? Today’s society has a benchmark for a girl’s education; some say it’s until they’re in higher secondary school, while others say it’s until their post-graduation. They set benchmarks without realising what they are depriving their own daughters of – A Command from Allah. If someone says you are doing a sin, would you not try to rectify it the next time you are put in a similar circumstance? But how does one not realise that we are ignoring a command from Allah in plain sight? Are we not afraid of the punishment of Allah? Are we being arrogant about it? Remember that Allah says:

Think of what happened to Pharaoh when he claimed he was the god, think of the entire army that was crushed into pieces when they arrived in Makkah to destroy Ka’abah. This is where we have to ask ourselves if we are going astray from the right path.

Women’s Education in India: Current Reality

Discussions on Muslim women’s education often blur the line between Islamic teachings and patriarchal cultural practices. While Islam emerged in a patriarchal society, it introduced reforms that affirmed women’s dignity, moral agency, and right to knowledge. Allah says,

Notice how Allah is addressing all believers without gender distinction. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ actively encouraged women to seek knowledge, and early Muslim women such as Aisha رضی الله عنها were recognised scholars and teachers.

However, practices like prioritising boys’ education, restricting girls’ mobility, or discouraging higher studies stem largely from social customs and economic constraints, not Islamic doctrine. Concepts such as modesty and purdah are sometimes misused to justify exclusion, despite no Qur’anic prohibition on women’s education. Distinguishing faith from patriarchy is therefore essential. When cultural norms override Islamic principles of justice (‘adl) and human dignity (karamah), religion is misrepresented.

Let’s Talk Statistics

According to a survey, Muslims make up 14.2%-14.3% of the Indian Population, which is roughly about 19.7 crore people, of which 8.83 crore are male, and 8.40 crore are female, and the literacy rate amongst us is about 79.5%, slightly below the 80.9% rate for all religions combined. Muslim female literacy in 2011 was often lower than males and other groups, around 51.9% for women vs. 62.4% for men in one academic table. According to the Census of India 2011, the overall female literacy rate in India was 65.5%, while Muslim female literacy stood at approximately 51.9%, significantly below both the national female average and the literacy rates of women from several other religious communities.

Communities are built by people, men, women and children. And to see that our community is weakening day by day due to cultural influence on the religion is heart-breaking to say the least. Women being treated as an obligation for the parents to marry off or even as a commodity in some households are some of the harsh realities of a Muslimah in this era.

Culture vs. Islam: Identifying the Gap

Misinterpretation of religious teachings constitutes a critical barrier to women’s education. Cultural practices are frequently conflated with Islamic doctrine, despite clear textual evidence to the contrary. The Qur’an commands the pursuit of knowledge without gender distinction, while the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated,

Decontextualised readings are often employed to justify restrictions on women, contradicting Islam’s foundational emphasis on intellect, justice, and moral responsibility.

Developments in Muslim Nations

Several Indian communities demonstrate how sustained investment in girls’ schooling leads to improved literacy, economic participation, and social mobility. Similarly, countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have expanded female education by integrating religious values with modern curricula, emphasising that faith and learning are complementary. These contexts show that when cultural resistance is challenged through policy support, community engagement, and religious legitimacy, women’s education flourishes – strengthening families, economies, and national development without compromising religious identity.

When we talk about whether we are doing enough for women’s education today? The answer would be no. Because we are not striving to become an educated society; sure, we are living in a better condition and environment than the generation before us, but nothing has really changed apart from it. To be an educated society, we must ensure that access to knowledge and learning is inclusive, continuous, and empowering for all its members, regardless of gender, class, or background.

Women today get educated on the basis of getting good prospects for marriage; their education is seen as a conditional choice rather than a long-term-investment.

Imagine being a woman and not being respected in your own home because of your gender, being reduced to a far smaller being than you actually are, dimming the light and personality? What sort of life is that? Think of yourself as a parent, would you want your child, your own flesh and blood to go through that suffering? That oppression? Would you willingly put your children in that position?

How Do We Move Forward?

Addressing gaps in women’s education requires collective responsibility grounded in Islamic guidance. Families must uphold education as a trust (amānah), as the Qur’an states:

This verse gives an insight of how it is our duty to safeguard our family from the scorching fire of hellfire. This also falls upon the Islamic Institutions and policymakers to facilitate access and be just, reflecting the Qur’anic principle that Allah elevates those who are given knowledge in rank.

Reclaiming Education as Ibadah

Reclaiming education as a religious duty requires returning to Islam’s original emphasis on ‘ilm as a foundational obligation for all believers. The Qur’an repeatedly elevates knowledge, asking rhetorically and commanding reflection, learning, and understanding as acts of worship. Knowledge is not gendered in Islam; rather, it is about moral accountability and intellectual growth, which is applied equally to men and women.

Duʿāʾ, Reform, and Sustained Action

Duʿāʾ is the spiritual foundation. It reflects humility before Allah and acknowledgement that true guidance and success come from Him alone. Allah says:

Duʿāʾ nurtures ikhlāṣ, softens hearts, and aligns intentions. While Reform (Iṣlāḥ) requires honest self-examination. Communities must identify cultural barriers, misinterpretations, and systemic neglect that hinder girls’ education. Allah says:

Reformation means correcting attitudes, policies, and priorities in light of Islamic ethics. And lastly, Sustained action transforms ideals into reality. The Prophet ﷺ taught consistency:

Long-term commitment like education, advocacy, and institutional support ensures that change is lasting, not symbolic. Together, these three elements turn faith into transformative social responsibility.