Drastic change: JI to include 10 female members in central council

Party leader says decision taken to empower women

PESHAWAR:

For the first time since its inception more than 74 years ago, the Jamaat-e-Islami has decided to induct 10 female members into the party’s central council.

The decision was taken by JI leader Dr Samia Raheel Qazi, who also secured a seat on the Council of Islamic Ideology earlier this year.

She told The Express Tribune that previously, the JI had two autonomous wings under one chief: the women’s and men’s wings were led by a general secretary.

In 1987, however, Dr Samia’s father, the then JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed, had assigned 25 to 30 women the status of observers.

As observers, women were allowed to submit written suggestions but were not guaranteed the right to vote within the party’s ranks. For the first time, 10 members – excluding the general secretary, who is nominated – will be elected and made a part of the central committee of the JI.

“The decision was taken for the empowerment of women,” said Dr Samia. “The party has often been criticised for setting women to the side, which is a baseless allegation.”

Two other party leaders also confirmed the development. They said the decision was part of a larger agenda that would be disclosed by JI chief Sirajul Haq in the next few days.

The modalities of electing 10 women to the central body are yet to be decided but an autonomous election commission has been constituted to come up with suggestions, they added.

Earlier last month, the JI had announced that it would open up the ranks of its central council to female members of the party.

“The JI has decided to give women effective representation in its Shura (council),” the party chief had announced on October 3 while talking to reporters at a news conference in Mansoora, Lahore on the second day of the council’s meeting.

According to the JI leader, the female members of the council would be elected by other female members of the party.

The JI leadership’s decision to include women in its Shura appears to be a part of a shift in the party towards a more open and liberal outlook.

It was earlier reported that the party was also considering a strategy to recruit members from the country’s minority religious groups. The JI Shura has already formed a committee to devise a programme of action for this purpose.

Non-Muslims were also invited to attend a JI gathering in November 2014 for the first time in the party’s history. The minority participants were allowed to display their own literature at the gathering, it was reported.


Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2015.