Muslim women in higher education

Summary
Introduction
Entry into higher education
The role of the family
Experiences of higher education
Career aspirations and barriers to seeking employment
References

Summary

‘Muslim Women and Higher Education’ is a new report exploring Muslim women students’ experiences of higher education, equal opportunities and graduate employability. The study challenges dominant stereotyped assumptions prevalent about the lives of Muslim women and their families.

The study highlighted the importance of careers services having staff with specific training in, and understanding of, the specific barriers facing Muslim women in education and the labour market. Although there were concerns with racism, Islamophobia and gender discrimination, the study found Muslim women students’ attitudes towards finding work were extremely positive.

Introduction

Muslim women’s experiences of higher education, equal opportunities and graduate employability have been explored in a recent joint study from Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Bristol [1]. The study highlights ‘how Muslim women, through their participation in university, challenge dominant stereotyped assumptions prevalent in both the literature and institutions, about the lives of Muslim women and their families’.

The research was funded by the European Social Fund and was conducted by Dr David Tyrer (Liverpool John Moores University) and Fauzia Ahmad (University of Bristol). It involved a total of 105 interviews with Muslim women from universities in Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham and London. Respondents’ ethnic origins ranged from South Asian ethnicities (Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi) to African, African-Caribbean and Arab. The majority were undergraduates studying for a wide range of degrees, although a small proportion were post-graduates or in employment.

Entry into higher education

Pre-university experiences were found to influence the choices Muslim women students perceive as available to them in terms of subjects studied, universities attended, further post-graduate study options and future career and labour market prospects.

The women surveyed were generally from local post-1992 ‘new’ universities. Many also attended comprehensive schools and came from socially deprived areas with high concentrations of Asians and Muslims. Respondents who came from these areas, where schools and further education colleges were poorly resourced, spoke of little encouragement and preparation for higher education, and saw their transitions from school to university as difficult. Some also felt a lack of support from their university lecturers.

The role of the family

In contrast to some of the stereotyped notions about Muslim families (‘as inherently oppressive and as presenting barriers to women’s participation in higher education and the labour market’), women in the study reported that their parents often share in their educational and career aspirations. In particular, a large proportion cited their fathers as key sources of motivation and encouragement. Women also spoke about how a university qualification could enhance their social mobility and status for themselves and their families.

Few women spoke of any pressure from their families to get married. Instead, they spoke of how getting a degree could enhance their marital prospects and choices, although some did express concerns that they risked becoming ‘too educated’. The majority of the women also stressed their right to choose whether to work or not after marriage.

These findings echo those reported recently by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). According to an EOC survey of 1,200 year 11 students, 90% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women (the vast majority of whom are Muslims) said they have the support of their families in pursuing their education and career aspirations, rather than being expected to get married and have children [2].

Experiences of higher education

According to the Liverpool John Moores study, respondents’ experiences of universities were extremely diverse. Those who had been treated more inclusively by other students were more eager to report their good experiences, particularly if they have been included in various social events including some that were modified so as not to exclude them. And for some respondents, finding white British friends who were able to understand and respect the social choices they make (particularly if these choices involved rejecting alcohol) was something they appreciated.

Evidence from the research suggests that racism persists within the higher education sector, from far-right white racist activities to more subtle forms of institutionalised discrimination and favouritism. While almost two-thirds of the respondents felt that racism and sexism would not be tolerated in their universities, only one in three reported feeling that Islamophobia would not be tolerated. Many respondents also reported feeling that men and women experience Islamophobia in different ways, and that Muslim women who wear hijab were more likely to feel vulnerable to gender and racial stereotyping.

According to the study, the most important factor to take into account when meeting the needs of Muslim women students is that there is no singular way of categorising Muslim women students and their needs, as not all Muslim women practice their faith in the same ways or to the same extent. Apart from prayer rooms and halal food, student accommodation, lecture time-tables and accommodation and activities during fieldtrips could also be issues of concern for these students.

Career aspirations and barriers to seeking employment

The study found a diverse range of career hopes and aspirations amongst the Muslim women surveyed, and that their attitudes towards finding work were extremely positive. Racism, Islamophobia and gender discrimination, which could shape employers’ perceptions of Muslim women as job applicants, were, however, seen by respondents to be the greatest obstacles facing them in the labour market.

The study highlighted the importance of careers services having staff with specific training in, and understanding of, the specific barriers facing Muslim women in education and the labour market. Having women counsellors from a minority ethnic background for these students, and running projects which help to address the barriers these students face, are seen to be positive moves. According to the report, the key to success for these practices, however, is not to assume that a Muslim woman student would necessarily wish to access these provisions, but rather to give them the opportunity to decide and choose for themselves.

As the EOC study suggests, a focus only on ‘cultural factors’ - which suggest that the problem lies with the women themselves because they don't have the skills or have families who don't want them to work - misses the point for many of today's increasingly well educated and ambitious young Muslim women. Actions to break down barriers, open up new work opportunities and reduce discrimination are critical and should start young; for example, through better careers advice, work experience and outreach into communities to demonstrate the range of opportunities available.

References

1. Muslim Women and Higher Education: Identities, Experiences and Prospects, summary report, Dr David Tyrer (Liverpool John Moores University) and Fauzia Ahmad (University of Bristol).

2. Press release: launch of interim report into BME women in the workplace, 6 September 2006, Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

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