Reclaiming Women's Moral Agency in Islām: An Ethical Framework for Sustainable Gender Justice in Nigerian Universities

Abstract

Drawing on Islamic ethical theory, classical scholarship (al-Ghazālī, al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, Ibn ʿĀshūr) and contemporary reformist thought (Fazlur Rahman, Amina Wadud, Asma Barlas), this qualitative study develops a normative framework for reclaiming women's moral agency in Nigerian higher education. It identifies underrepresentation, gender bias and socio-cultural constraints as key barriers, and argues that Islamic principles of justice (ʿadl), dignity (karāmah), accountability (taklīf) and trusteeship (amānah) offer a culturally resonant framework for sustainable gender justice. Institutional, epistemological and policy reforms are proposed to align Islamic values with contemporary gender-justice discourse.