Yogyakarta — Thursday, 20 November 2025. As part of the Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought’s 60th Anniversary celebration, themed “60 Years of Ushuluddin Infinity”, UIN Sunan Kalijaga convened a Gender Seminar featuring Prof. Siti Syamsiyatun and Ning Imaz Fatimatus Zahro. The event explored how women navigate an increasingly complex global landscape marked by cultural shifts, digital disruption, and rising ideological tensions.

Opening the program, the Dean highlighted the urgency of strengthening gender discourse amid pressing global concerns—digital harassment, women’s leadership gaps, debates on gender and identity, the rise of “freechild” narratives, young people’s anxiety toward marriage, and escalating gender-based violence. He emphasized the need for role models who embody Islamic values while engaging today’s realities with clarity and compassion.

Prof. Siti Syamsiyatun presented a strategic roadmap for empowering Muslim women in global leadership. Her framework includes learning and adapting, building supportive ecosystems, combining activism with literacy, and developing ideas that can circulate across public platforms. She argued that meaningful progress requires both intellectual rigor and the courage to shape public discourse.

Ning Imaz Fatimatus Zahro offered a historical-theological perspective under the theme “Re-reading Islamic History for a More Just Future.” She stressed that many contemporary gender problems stem not from Islamic texts themselves but from forced interpretations and selective readings. By revisiting the legacy of female scholars—from Aisyah RA to medieval muhadditsah—she illustrated that women once held central roles in Islamic knowledge production.
“Gender justice is not a Western construct,” she asserted, “but an ethical principle embedded in Islam. The issue is not only about women—it is about ensuring dignity for all human beings.”

The seminar, attended by students, scholars, and gender advocates, generated a rich exchange on how global forces shape women’s experiences and how Islamic scholarship can contribute to a more equitable future. The discussions reaffirmed UIN Sunan Kalijaga’s role as a critical academic space advancing strategic, future-oriented studies on gender justice.