Religions were created to be systems of belief that could be followed by groups. Doctrines for religions often appear in the form of documents, or large books. Misinterpretations of various religious doctrines contribute to the gender inequality prevalent in today’s world. For example, the Islamic Quran contains doctrines that state women must remain somewhat subservient to men, but radical Islamics manipulate these doctrines to satisfy their needs. 

 

Saudi Arabia, an Islamic nation, is ruled completely by males. Saudi Arabian women demanded the end of the male dominated society on March 8, 2014, International Women’s Day. Saudi Arabia is the only country where women cannot drive. Women are also denied many other rights; a woman cannot travel or work without a male guardian, women cannot have ID without a guardian’s consent, women must obtain permission from a male guardian for “certain surgeries,” and women cannot leave campus during study hours without a male guardian’s permission (Aljazeera.com). 

 

Recently in Saudi Arabia, a pregnant student was forced to give birth on campus after a women-only university in Riyadh denied her access to paramedics. A university student died in February after paramedics were prevented from entering her campus due to lack of a male guardian (Aljazeera.com). These injustices against women are not acceptable; activist Aziza Yousef and her fellow activists have demanded “measures to protect women’s rights” (Aljazeera.com). 

 

Other Islamic nations exhibit unjust behavior towards women. In Iraq, female genital mutilations occur in girls as early as age six. Those who practice and inflict this upon others only do so because they believe it is correct “Islam” doctrine. Honor killings are also a popular occurrence in radical Islam cultures, killing a woman because she flirted with a man, or had an affair. (Roark).

 

Certain Islamic nations misinterpret doctrine to keep women down, but they are not the only culture that does so. Radical Catholics sometimes cite the Bible as a reason to treat women and other groups, such as homosexuals, incorrectly. Gender equality of the age may be written out in the Quran. When the Quran was written, women had a different role in society. Society has changed, and so have women, therefore oftentimes new interpretations of religious doctrines are necessary in order to fully understand how to apply them to modern day life.