Islamic Perspective of Gender Equity of Educational Opportunities

Abstract

In Nigerian contemporary society, many educators are of the wrong opinion that Islam frowns at gender equality in education and that the practice of Purdah makes it difficult for Muslim females to fully benefit from the educational system.  This paper examines the problems associated with gender inequality in Nigeria and now aims at promoting a heightened awareness of the fact that Islam enjoins gender equity in education for both females and males. The paper made reverence to the views of scholars on how gender inequality was viewed in the Western world.  It focuses on three areas namely the concept of gender equity, constraints of gender equity and gender inequality in Islam with a view of recommending the provision of more educational opportunities for females from primary to tertiary levels of education.  Thus, the study sets out to ascertain the perception of gender equity of educational opportunities by Islamic Scholars and Non- Muslim educators.