Istanbul workshop highlights legacy of 19th-century Muslim women writers
Academics from around the world gathered in Istanbul to examine the overlooked intellectual legacy of 19th-century Muslim women writers, highlighting their contributions to literature, journalism, education and social thought, Amez Ahmed reported for Daily Sabah.
The two-day workshop, titled "KADEM International Workshop Series III: 19th Century Women Writers in the Muslim World," was organized by the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) in cooperation with the University of Freiburg, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University and Tbilisi State University.
Recovering forgotten voices
Opening the event, KADEM Chairperson Canan Sarı said history is shaped not only by past events but also by whose ideas and experiences are preserved for future generations.
She said the workshop aims to recover the intellectual heritage of Muslim women whose contributions have largely remained outside mainstream historical scholarship.
Sarı described the 19th century as a period of profound political, social and intellectual transformation, stressing that women actively participated in debates on education, law, religion, justice and social reform through books, newspapers and journals.
She added that the discussions focused on pioneering women writers from the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, Iran, India, Indonesia, West Africa, Azerbaijan and Victorian Britain, exploring how they rooted calls for justice and women's rights within their own religious and cultural traditions.
Women shaped public debate
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University Associate Professor Zeynep Kevser Şerefoğlu Danış said Muslim women writers became influential intellectuals by using novels, journals and essays to address issues including education, employment, marriage and politics.
She noted that Ottoman women established their own public sphere by publishing more than 40 women's journals, creating intellectual networks that encouraged dialogue and the exchange of ideas.
Danış also emphasized that faith remained an integral part of intellectual inquiry for Ottoman women writers, allowing them to question social norms while remaining engaged with religious thought.
Women's rights movement predates modern feminism
Indiana University Professor Asma Afsaruddin argued that advocacy for women's rights in the Muslim world predates the modern concept of feminism.
She said 19th-century Muslim women promoted education, justice and greater participation in public life through newspapers, memoirs, novels and essays during a period marked by colonial expansion, modernization and educational reform.
Afsaruddin said these writers viewed women's education as essential not only for individual advancement but also for strengthening families and contributing to national development.
The workshop concluded with panel discussions and academic sessions aimed at expanding research and international cooperation on the intellectual legacy of Muslim women writers.
