Gender Equity Through Microfinance in Islamic Family Law: Cultural and Socioeconomic Challenges Kamukunji, Kenya. 2nd edition

This study explores gender equity through microfinance within the framework of Islamic family law, focusing on the cultural and socioeconomic challenges in Kamukunji Constituency, Kenya. Gender equity in Islam is anchored in Islamic family law, whose primary sources are the Qur'an and the Hadith. Although Islamic law is not fully codified, its principles, including those governing family relations, are largely derived from these primary sources. The law defines gender-based rights and duties that have socioeconomic and cultural implications, particularly regarding property ownership under Sharia. However, emerging parochial socioeconomic and cultural practices, together with the pressures of modernity, often override the principles of Islamic law on gender, creating a gap between the legal position of Islam and actual Muslim practices. This study examines gender equity in Islamic family law, Muslim perceptions of the issue globally and in Kamukunji Constituency, as well as the challenges, mitigation measures, and potential change agents within the local context.