Equality in the European Context and Islamic Perspective : A discourse analysis of the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025

Abstract

This thesis examines how the European Union Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 conceptualises gender equality, which forms of equality are discussed, and compares the underlying assumptions with the selected Islamic perspective. This thesis uses the Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) to explore how the ideas of equality, inclusion, intersectionality, and women's empowerment are constructed within the strategy. This thesis draws on feminist, intersectional, and postcolonial theories to analyse the relationship between European ideas of equality and the equality described in the selected Islamic perspectives. My thesis does not aim to put the concept of Western equality and Islamic perspectives at odds; rather, it provides the idea of a more comprehensive approach to studying equality, including the religious lens.

The findings of the thesis suggest that although the gender equality strategy promotes an inclusive version of gender equality based on human rights and intersectionality, it is framed primarily through a secular liberal understanding of gender equality and offers very limited insight into women's agency formed by their religious identities. In contrast, Islamic feminist scholarship holds that religious texts and traditions can be reinterpreted, offering a complementary perspective that should be added to the discussion of social justice. This thesis contributes to a broader debate on gender equality, intersectionality, multiculturalism, and policymaking within the European context by bringing these viewpoints into dialogue.