Introduction to women's empowerment: an epistemological concern

• Main Author: Gamon, Alizaman Dumangcag
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English; English; English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: H Social Sciences (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/102009/1/abstract%20Introduction%20to%20Women%20Empowerment.docx; http://irep.iium.edu.my/102009/2/poster%20women%20empowerment.jpeg; http://irep.iium.edu.my/102009/3/Dr%20Alizaman%20D%20Gamon__FIDScertificate.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/102009/4/Presentation1%20%5BAuto-saved%5D.pptx; http://irep.iium.edu.my/102009/

Over the past decades, secular epistemology and worldview shapes how issues on women are understood by various societies across the world. Also, the idea of women’s empowerment has undergone a socio-cultural and historical shift. The factors that influenced the methods and strategies for the upliftment of women and girls' relationships with other members of society are now conceived differently. What has been understood from various sources, including religion, for improving the status of women may not necessarily be viewed as relevant in this era of cultural and religious pluralism. Despite this, we have witnessed how women and children have continued to encounter discrimination and domestic violence at varying degrees. Scholars start to recognize the relevance of epistemological analysis as a tool to comprehend the strength and flaws of the current framework on women's empowerment. It is, therefore, the objective of the study to analyze the prevalent epistemological approaches in understanding the concept of women empowerment and other related issues. In addition, the study will also investigate how global perspectives and narratives from various intellectual and religious traditions have shaped the factors that elevate the status of women, particularly Muslim refugees living in Malaysia. Given the diversified models of women empowerment, the study adopts a qualitative method of analyzing research with regards to micro-level, intermediate-level, and macro-level analysis as advocated by the Malaysian government. The study recommends the urgency for the global community to re-conceive what constitutes a comprehensive epistemology that may provide universal teachings which are inclusive that entails a synthesis of all the scientific truths, human knowledge, and its cultural manifestations.