Videos and Lesson Plans: Muslim Women: Past, Present & Future

March 29, 2023

The following videos and lesson plans were designed to bring attention to the rights, struggles, and achievements of Muslim women beginning in the 7th century with the advent of Islam and continuing into the 21st century to ensure that their challenges and contributions are accurately represented in discussions about Muslim women.

Published: March 29, 2023

Subjects: World History, US History, Social Studies, Religion

Grades: 6-12, colleges and universities

The material is divided into two parts:

Part I: Muslim Women’s Rights & Challenges in History & Today

Video Chapters #1-4

The first part features Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala, Assistant Professor at the Graduate Theological Union, who discusses “Muslim Women’s Rights & Challenges in History & Today,” including the rights that were guaranteed to women by the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad as well as prominent Muslim women in early Islamic history who exercised and defended their rights, such as Fatima Zahra and Asma bint Umays. She also discusses how Muslim women gradually lost the rights given to them by Islam and what Muslim women and their allies can do to regain their rights.

Part II: Notable Muslim Women Today

Video Chapters #5-10

The second part features Dr. Daisy Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Initiative in Spirituality & Equality (WISE), who discusses “Notable Muslim Women Today,” including in the fields of education, finance, science, religion, and politics. For example, she highlights the achievements of Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, who has expanded economic opportunities for women and men in her nation. She also profiles Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian American explorer and the first Muslim woman in space. She also discusses current challenges Muslim women must overcomes to regain the rights given to them by Islam.

Lesson Plans

To download the lesson plans, register below. They include full transcripts of the videos, classroom discussion questions, activities, as well as additional resources, including articles, videos, and music.

Please share these lesson plans with educators and refer to them for your own use.

These new lesson plans expand on our existing online curriculum titled Muslim Women Beyond the Stereotypes, which is taught by educators across the country.

To download, register here.

Share this: