As part of the Department of Sociology’s new Inaugural Lecture Programme, you are warmly invited to join Professor Khursheed Wadia as she delivers her inaugural lecture.

The study of Muslim women in West European societies is recent. The category ‘Muslim women’ is itself recent, having emerged in the post 9/11 era. Before that women whose origins lay in Muslim-majority countries were labelled according to their ethnicity or nationality – hence Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali, Algerian. Drawing on archival sources and empirical research carried out over the last 15 years, this talk presents an overview of the political engagement of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and other Asian women in the post-war period. It goes on to discuss the emergence of ‘Muslim women’, asking how this category emerged, how women in this category are seen and how this visibility governs their interest in certain issues and political activism. It considers the political engagement of Muslim women, arguing that Muslim women, in all their diversity, have felt compelled to be politically engaged because of who they are.

The lecture will start at 5:00pm and will be followed by a drinks reception from 6.15pm. The event is free and open to all. Please register in advance.