Center of quiet strength: Women in leadership
From its earliest teachings, Islam affirms the equality of men and women before God.
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From its earliest teachings, Islam affirms the equality of men and women before God.
In every gathering I have witnessed — whether in quiet Manila mosques or assemblies across Mindanao — the presence of Muslim women has always been steady, dignified, and far from invisible. Yet outside our circles, a persistent misconception lingers: that Muslim women are confined to the background. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As the country observes Women’s Month, it is worth pausing to reflect on a truth often overlooked in conversations about Muslim communities.
From its earliest teachings, Islam affirms the equality of men and women before God. The Qur’an declares: “Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women… Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward” (33:35).
Another verse reminds us: “The believing men and the believing women are allies of one another” (9:71). Women were entrusted with responsibility and dignity — not as exceptions, but as essential partners in faith and community life.
History bears this out. Khadijah, the Prophet’s first wife, was a respected merchant whose counsel anchored the earliest days of Islam. Aisha, the third wife, became a foremost transmitter of hadith and a jurist whose opinions guided generations. These are not footnotes; they remind us that women have always stood at the heart of Islamic scholarship.
This truth is alive today. Dr. Mary Joyce Z. Guinto-Sali, Chancellor of Mindanao State University– Tawi-Tawi, exemplifies leadership grounded in faith and family. A Muslima, wife, and mother, she leads with distinction — spearheading a Hijab Awareness Campaign, establishing the Nurul Iman Islamic Center, and guiding her university toward global recognition in marine sustainability rankings.
I remember, too, my time in Oman in the mid-1990s, when the Sultanate became the first Gulf state to open its Majlis al-Shura, its consultative parliament, to women. I interviewed one of the first two female members. I no longer recall her name, but her calm presence left a mark. With me then was Donna Rose Legaspi, a student at the Philippine School in Oman, who has since passed away. I still carry memories of Donna’s curiosity and promise — reminders that leadership is not only measured by titles, but also by the potential of lives that deserved longer journeys.
Here at home, women have ascended to the highest offices. Corazon Aquino broke through as our first female president, followed by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who served as both vice president and president. They belong to a different faith, but their ascent matters here too — proof that Filipino women, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, have claimed spaces once closed to them. A similar story has unfolded across Southeast Asia, where women leaders have risen in Muslim-majority nations.
A frequent misconception is that Muslim women stand voiceless in the margins. In reality, their contributions are often less visible, not absent. Islam grants them the right to learn, to work, and to shape society. What sometimes clouds this truth are cultural traditions or structural hurdles — conditions women everywhere face.
The challenge before us is not to “allow” Muslim women into public life — they have always been there — but to recognize their presence more fully. For Filipino Muslims, this recognition matters deeply. Muslim women stand not just as supporters, but as leaders.
To see them only through stereotypes is to misread history. To see them rightly is to acknowledge that in building families, nurturing communities, and contributing to nation-building, Muslim women are not on the sidelines. They are at the very heart of the story.
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