Between Liberation and Oppression: Muslim Women, the Hijab, and the Liberal Feminist Gaze

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explores how Muslim women interpret the hijab as a form of empowerment, challenging liberal feminist discourses that often frame it as oppressive. Through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 23 Muslim women in Fez, Morocco, this research centres their lived experiences and personal narratives regarding hijab-wearing. The study employs Islamic feminism and postcolonial feminism as theoretical frameworks to analyse how participants construct agency, identity, and resistance within their religious and cultural contexts. Findings reveal three primary themes: the hijab as a spiritual and personal practice, resistance to external narratives of oppression, and the hijab as empowerment in public spaces. Results demonstrate that participants view their veiling practices as deliberate choices that enhance their spiritual connection, protect their autonomy, and assert their identity in both private and public spheres. These narratives directly challenge Western feminist assumptions about Muslim women's agency and highlight the importance of epistemic justice in feminist discourse. The study contributes to decolonizing feminist theory by privileging Muslim women's voices and experiences, offering implications for educators, policymakers, and scholars engaged in cross-cultural feminist research.