Congratulations to our PhD student Ummul Fayiza Puthiya Peedikayil who has recently been honoured with the G. N. Pillai Award for her new book Islamic Feminism.

The endowment award was presented by the Kerala Literary Academy and supported by the state government of Kerala. The award is for the non-fiction category (for authors under 40) and includes a prize of Rs. 3000. The book written in Malayalam, originally published in 2020, was recognised for its second edition (2023).

About the book

The book investigates the intersection of Islam and feminism, exploring its possibilities and dilemmas. Two salient aspects examined in the book are the plurality of the Islamic feminist perspectives and the critical global politics encompassing feminism, Islam, and Islamic feminism. The book meticulously highlights the historical, thematic, and methodological developments within this evolving discourse.

The book is structured into five chapters. The first chapter delineates the historical evolution of Islamic feminism and the various theoretical frameworks that define the concept of Islamic feminism. The second chapter scrutinises diverse feminist exegeses of Quranic verses pertaining to women. Subsequent chapters address Islamic feminist engagements with Islamic law (chapter 3), Sufism (chapter 4), and postcoloniality and decoloniality (chapter 5).

In response to the award, Fayiza has said:

"I am truly grateful for the recognition my book has received. I hope it finds and inspires a broader audience."

Congratulations Fayiza from everyone at Warwick Law School.