Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Reaffirms Islam’s Commitment to Women’s Equality
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Reaffirms Islam’s Commitment to Women’s Equality
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The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar said Islam affirmed women’s equality with men and liberated them from pre-Islamic cultural oppression, Egypt Today reported.
Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb stressed that women’s dignity was largely unrecognized before the advent of Islam. Speaking at a conference at the Al-Azhar Conference Center titled “Investing in Religious and Media Discourse and Its Impact on Protecting and Promoting Women’s Rights in OIC Countries,” he highlighted Islam’s role in granting women rights to education, inheritance, financial independence, choice of marriage, and the ability to initiate divorce.
El-Tayeb cautioned against framing women’s issues solely through Western theories, criticizing contemporary feminist discourses that, in his view, undermine family structures and religious values. He emphasized that Islamic Sharia historically abolished practices such as female infanticide and established equality in rights, duties, and responsibilities, while urging simpler dowries and easier marriage.
The conference, held on February 1–2, 2026, was opened by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and organized by Al-Azhar in partnership with the National Council for Women and the Women’s Development Organization. Pope Tawadros II also addressed the event, condemning harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and early marriage and calling for broader societal awareness through education, media, and religious discourse.
