The Ultimate Separatist This book, aimed at an audience of youth work practitioners from the local authority and voluntary sectors, policy makers and Muslim organisations, Cage? discusses issues relating to youth work with young women from Muslim communities in Britain. It aims to promote good ‘girls’ work’ practice using case studies.
The title is taken from a conference paper the author gave at the National Conference on Muslim Youth Work, which was delivered in a workshop that sparked Youth Work a lively debate. We hope the book, which follows up contacts of the new Muslim Youth Work Foundation with Muslim in order to involve a range of Muslim young women and youth workers in providing material about their practice, will have the same effect. Young
ISBN: 978 0 86155 339 6 Women Price: £9.50
Gill Cressey
Eastgate House, 19–23 Humberstone Road, Leicester LE5 3GJ. Tel. 0116 242 7350. Fax: 0116 242 7444. E-mail: [email protected] Websites: www.nya.org.uk www.youthinformation.com
The National Youth Agency The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Gill Cressey
The National Youth Agency
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim is translated as “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful”
The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Dr Gill Cressey is a lecturer with the Community, Play and Youth Studies programme at the University of Birmingham and a director of the Muslim Youth Work Foundation. She has worked as a women and girls worker in Birmingham.
Published by
Eastgate House, 19–23 Humberstone Road, Leicester LE5 3GJ. Tel: 0116 242 7350. Fax: 0116 242 7444. E-mail: [email protected] Websites: www.nya.org.uk www.youthinformation.com
Text may be photocopied free of charge for educational and training purposes. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be addressed to the publisher. The National Youth Agency is grateful to those individuals and organisations who have supplied articles and photographs for this publication. Views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily of The National Youth Agency.
© The National Youth Agency, March 2007 ISBN: 978 0 86155 339 6
Price: £9.50
Printed in the UK by Spectrum Printing Services Limited, Leicester
ii THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women Contents
Introduction 1
Why only women? 6
Ulfah Arts: Involving young Muslim women in the arts 8
Birmingham University Islamic Society (BUISOC) 11
Saheli Women’s Group: a neighbourhood initiative 15
Bolton Lads and Girls Club 17
Working with a mixed group of girls and young women 20
Muslim youth work: Beyond the hijab 25
To love Allah and to serve my country 28
Guiding in Bangladesh 32
SAFE Project 34
An-Nisa – By Muslim Women for Muslim Women, Children and Families 37
Conclusion: Sharing good practice in youth work with Muslim girls: the way ahead 41
Appendix 1: Reprint from Youth and Policy, Muslim Youth Work special issue 50
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY iii The Ultimate Separatist Cage? Acknowledgments
This book was made possible by the following people and organisations Manaf Alderwish (SAFE project) Sadaf Ali (Muslim Youth Work Foundation) Charlotte Battersby (Girlguiding UK) Rakhyia Begum (Saheli Group) Farida Chand (Birmingham University Islamic Society) Julie Cockett (Birmingham Association of Youth Clubs) Simbi Folarin (Birmingham Youth Service) Andy Hopkinson (The National Youth Agency) Asmat Khan (SAFE project) Humera Khan (An-nisa) Muhammad Khan (Muslim Youth Work Foundation) Naz Koser (Ulfah Arts) Tasneem Mahmood (Muslim Youth Work Foundation) Nafisa Mallu (Bolton Lads and Girls Club) Bruce McLaren (YWCA England & Wales) Dalal Olewa (Saheli Group) Alanna Rice (Bolton Lads and Girls Club) Rachel Swygart (Girlguiding UK) Valerie Le Vaillant (Girlguiding UK)
THANKS! Gill iv THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women Ideas behind working with Muslim young women and girls
he idea for this book came up during the first national conference on Muslim Youth Work in Birmingham in December 2005. One of the workshops of that event was on youth work with young women and girls and had the same title as this book: The Ultimate Separatist Cage? This is a reference to remarks being made at the time by senior politicians about Muslims in Britain and about the position Tof Muslim women in families and communities. Since then there has been a new media commotion about young Muslim women wearing the veil, particularly those who wear the covering over their face in addition to a headscarf. This too was taken by politicians and media commentators to be an act of separatism rather than a personal choice of dress code.
We have reproduced a statement about why women-only work is important with kind permission of YWCA later in the book. The YWCA statement was used as a resource for a conversation topic at the event ‘Muslim Youthwork: Conversations and Actions’, (a well attended follow up to the Birmingham conference that attracted many new delegates as well as some of the people from the Birmingham conference in Bradford in 2006). The event’s Girls’ Work discussion forums were popular and raised important issues and demand for serious consideration to be given to the needs of Muslim Young Women. ‘Angry critics denounced Single sex youth work with girls and young women is not new in Britain. It has a long and interesting history. The National Association ‘girl scouting’ as a of Youth Clubs was once the National Organisation of Girls’ Clubs. There have been girls’ clubs and local and regional federations since ‘mischievous new 1861 (Carpenter 1981). There is a secular as well as a Christian and Jewish history of separate work with girls and young women in Britain. development’, a ‘foolish and YWCA was founded in 1855 by Miss Emma Robarts and The Hon Mrs Arthur Kinnaird. Miss Robarts started organising groups for young pernicious movement’ and women who were coming to London for the first time. Mrs Kinnaird opened a hostel in Upper Charlotte Street, London for Florence an ‘idiotic sport’ ’ Nightingale’s nurses, en route to and from the Crimea. YWCA has supported disadvantaged young women for 150 years. The Girls Friendly Society was founded in London in 1875 by an Irish woman – Mrs Elizabeth Townsend. She wanted to help lonely girls who came from the country to work in the city. The Girls’ Friendly Society in England and Wales (campaign name GFS Platform) has worked with girls and women nationally and internationally since then. There were also single sex uniformed organisations. “At the Scouts’ first rally, at the Crystal Palace in 1909, a small group of girls turned up. They represented hundreds of other girls and insisted that they wanted to be Scouts too. Angry critics denounced ‘girl scouting’ as a ‘mischievous new development’, a ‘foolish and pernicious movement’ and an ‘idiotic sport’. However, Baden-Powell’s letters from this time show that he had a scheme for girls in mind. In 1910 he formed the Girl Guides, asking his sister Agnes to look after the new organisation. A few years later his wife Olave became involved and, in 1918, was appointed Chief Guide.’(Girlguiding UK website). The Girls’ Life Brigade, which was founded in England in 1902 by the National Sunday School Union (now known as the National Christian Education Council) was a Church based international movement offering a varied programme for four age groups “to help encourage girls to become responsible self reliant, useful young women”. It was one of the forerunners of the Girls’ Brigade.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 1 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
None of this work with young women was just about leisure activities, there were educational, social and economic aims including inclusion, self reliance, confidence, peer companionship, a living wage, improvement of working conditions, support for young mothers and reduction of isolation, abuse and exploitation of young women including migrants. A key difference between approaches was and is different attitudes to gender and this has a class dimension to it.
Jean Spence suggests that ‘in the history of work with girls and young women the continuities of method and form obscure a deeper disjuncture in political philosophy and purpose. The interventions of women youth workers in the Victorian and Edwardian period were influenced by an essentialist approach to gender which would have been anathema to those feminists who promoted work with girls and young women in the late twentieth century’.(Spence 2006, p.243)
Often girls’ clubs and organisations have been set up by upper middle class women for ‘less fortunate girls’ – working class young women. Feminist youth workers in the 1970s were accused, by resistant male youth workers, of trying to bring a middle class project to bear in working class neighbourhoods and clubs. Rather than being sequential, this disjuncture appears to be ever-present in work with Muslim young women. Today’s work is based on a great variety of philosophical approaches and purposes. Welfare work with working class young women and girls as one tradition is still evident in that Muslim women are for the most part members of working class families, communities and neighbourhoods. Feminist attempts to change the role and status of women in society are another To try to understand the distinct approach that has led to projects with young Muslim women both by Western feminists and Muslim feminists. Socialist community needs of young Muslim development aimed at addressing class inequalities and strategies to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities have also had an women in Britain today impact on this field of work. All of the youth workers involved can find common ground in form and in pragmatic aspects of the work yet is to try to understand a disagree fundamentally about the aims and purposes of the work and the outcomes sought by and for young Muslim women. complex embodiment of This book is about method, form, philosophy and purpose of economic, political and youth work with young Muslim women. What are we to make of interventions with Muslim young women in the early 21st century: cultural processes essentialist, socialist, feminist, Islamic, or pragmatist? What are the class dynamics of this work? Although there is no visible, documented history of Youth work with young Muslim women in Britain, it is not brand new, there were certainly specific initiatives in many local community settings in the early 1980s. There have also been numerous examples of community and youth work with BME communities that was and is in fact work with Muslim young women but was and is not labelled as such.
To try to understand the needs of young Muslim women in Britain today is to try to understand a complex embodiment of economic, political and cultural processes at the borders of ‘race’, class, age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and religion. The UK Muslim community comprises a wide range of ethnic sub-groups including 610,000 Pakistanis, 200,000 Bangladeshis, 160,000 Indians, 350,000 Arab and African and 180,000 from other backgrounds such as Afghans, Iranians, Turkish, Kurdish and Kosovan (Muslim Council of Britain 2005). Their life experiences arise out of the history of colonialism, imperialism, international division of labour, and the position of women in the global economy (Brah 1996). Analysing her experiences as a researcher/youth worker with a group of young men Claire Alexander made the following comments about the young men’s relationships with people they refer to as ‘sister’. ‘Sisters’ include real siblings and relationships demarcated as platonic.
In particular, the relationships with ‘sisters’ point to the complex articulation of layers of gendered authority and hierarchies that challenge any simplistic assumptions of homogeneous and antagonistic patriarchal relations within Asian (particularly Muslim) communities, which position women uncritically as victims and subjects of control and men always already the villains of the piece (Alexander 2000, p.198)
2 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Young Muslims are portrayed as if they are a homogeneous group in British society when in fact they differ greatly in terms of class, disability/ability, cultural practices, languages and lifestyle choices. Working with Muslim young women and girls is therefore an exercise in working with a very diverse group of people. ‘Muslim’ cannot even be convincingly essentialised to be a factor that they all share in common because they each have their own relationship with their faith, with religious identifications, traditions and organisations. What they do share is living a minority experience of difference and resistance from a majority of the population in Britain who buy into anti-Islamic stereotypes, rhetoric and discourses to justify discrimination, human rights abuses and violence. They also share in struggles of young women faced with abuse of power towards them by a range of ‘others’. They also share the challenge of embodying the ‘borders’ of Britain and of being regularly accused of separatism and failure to integrate. Young women obviously are also members of families and communities. They are part of neighbourhoods, campuses, audiences and markets. Often they feel excluded or offered unequal access to opportunities. The orientalist construction of Muslim women as passive victims, particularly those who wear the veil is still a powerful discourse impacting on the politics of work with young Muslim women and their families. The veil itself has recently been treated by Tony Blair and his supporters as an act of deliberate separatism and simultaneously an indication of passivity and capitulation to sexism. Veiled women have unfortunately been abused in the streets, called names, spat at, had scarves snatched off, been harassed and excluded as a reaction to a series of global as well as national events. There is a culturalist explanation that Muslim families do not permit female members to work outside the home or to mix with men at all. This explanation is too categoric and based on a generalisation that cannot stand up to closer scrutiny. There are Muslim families who do not permit women, particularly young unmarried women, to go into mixed gender settings outside the home. There are also families that, rather than having What they do share is living a blanket ruling on that, have some reservations and concerns that need to be satisfied in order to consent. For example, many young a minority experience of women go to mixed colleges and universities because families concede that pursuit of education is important. Also many young women difference and resistance work in mixed work places due to the need to earn and to contribute financially. In some cases paid employment is a means to the end of from a majority of the satisfying immigration regulations. The fact that a young woman is allowed to go to college and to work does not automatically mean that population in Britain the family will be comfortable about the idea of her going to a mixed youth club or taking part in a mixed residential or mixed sports, or for who buy into anti-Islamic that matter that the young woman herself would be comfortable with that. stereotypes, rhetoric
Whilst the majority of young Muslim women in Britain were born and discourses to justify in Britain, there are also women who migrated to Britain, some of whom are newly arrived. The migration of women varies in pattern discrimination, human from that of men, whilst some women arrive as part of a family others arrive to join a partner or a family and others arrive alone for work rights abuses and violence. or study purposes. Young women differ also in marital status and parental status. Young mothers within marriages that are accepted and embraced by families and communities have very different experiences than young mothers whose children were conceived outside these parameters. Yet they still share the experience of juggling the demands and responsibilities of motherhood at a young age, with the desire to have greater personal freedom.
My intention in bringing this book together is to introduce a range of reasons why youth work organisations engage in women-only work, particularly with Muslim Young Women. It is not possible in a book like this to do justice to the complexity of issues surrounding youth work with Muslim communities and with young women and girls. Instead my aim is to provide examples of good practice and to draw lessons from the accounts of youth workers and young women about what works and what can make youth work accessible and effective in the lives of a variety of Muslim young women. I examine how some very different projects involve Muslim young women and how they deal with some of the issues faced; and discuss the mix of
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 3 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
gender specific and gender sensitive work that I believe is needed so that Muslim young women have choices of engagement with youth work and safe spaces for personal development and participation without being unhealthily ‘separatist’.
Exclusion of young women by so-called mixed youth service provision and concern over class inequalities, disadvantage and poverty are both strong arguments for working with Muslim young women because of the working class lives of the majority of Muslim young women in British society. However, there has been a historic struggle between feminist youth workers and youth workers engaged primarily with working class young men who regarded feminism as a middle class incursion into working class communities (Spence 2006).
This book includes contributions from organisations with a long history of working with young women. Girlguiding UK will celebrate its centenary in 2010 and YWCA was founded in 1855. As one of the oldest women’s organisations in the world, YWCA has supported disadvantaged young women for 150 years. Specifically targeted work with young BME communities women is not so long standing but is not new either. In the 1980s work with particular Black and Ethnic Minority communities included projects aimed, for instance, specifically at Asian young women and often this included Muslim young women of Bangladeshi, Pakistani or East African descent. Claire Alexander (2000) uses a case study in her book The Asian Gang called the SAYO project to illustrate how provision developed from a perspective of ‘special need’ – Asian young people were either not using or being excluded from existing youth provision on an estate with a significant Asian community of residents. Provision was aimed specifically at Asian young women on the Work with Muslim young basis of ‘cultural need’ and the perception that they faced ‘double disadvantage’. Nelson, Dickinson, Beetham and Batsleer (2000) women from particular offered two case studies of community development work undertaken in Greater Manchester: a Somali Women’s health Day and the work ethnic communities and of a community arts project with Asian young women. They use them to analyse the operation of borders and barriers (close themes neighbourhoods is not to that of the separatist cage discussed in the concluding chapter of this book). They also discuss community development challenges in new either; what’s new are multilingual contexts and develop ideas about practice across division and difference. These themes are all picked up in a down to earth way attempts to conceptualise by youth workers and young women contributing to the following sections of this book. Muslim Youth Work Work with Muslim young women from particular ethnic communities nationally and to explore and neighbourhoods is not new either; what’s new are attempts to conceptualise Muslim Youth Work nationally and to explore what what Muslim Youth Work Muslim Youth Work with young women and girls is and could be. The Muslim Youth Work Foundation has grown out of the same with young women and conferences in Birmingham and Bradford that spawned this book. It defines Muslim Youth Work as supporting and promoting initiatives girls is and could be. and developing sustainable opportunities for young Muslim people to reach their full potential. Its motto is to “Create safe spaces for Muslim young people to explore personal, social, spiritual and political choices.” This book concentrates particularly on doing this with young women and girls. Muslim Girls’ Work is for all young women who self define themselves as Muslim and people who do youth work with them; and youth work that focuses on Muslim young women’s needs, concerns and interests. Muslim communities in Britain are diverse and there is a complex pattern of organisational development that is not well integrated. Acknowledging such diversity, the MYWF attempts to bring together people from organisations around the specific focus of Muslim Youth Work. In so doing it tries to bring together Muslim young people, Muslim organisations, youth work individuals and organisations that work with young Muslims and local and central government agencies that provide services to which Muslim young people are entitled. Muslim young people in Britain are paradoxically trans-national and limited in opportunities to explore the world beyond immediate ‘home’ neighbourhoods. The MYWF works with partner organisations to create opportunities for British Muslim young people to get involved in international
4 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women learning, working together and travel. A variety of different organisations and ways of working are featured in the chapters and inserts that follow giving a sense of the diversity of both the organisations engaged in work with young women including young Muslim women; and the diversity of young Muslim women in Britain in terms of culture, language, lifestyle and needs. We hope that the book is a means of developing the capacities of individuals, communities and organisations to do effective and relevant work with Muslim young women and girls. MYWF brings people together to share learning about the practice of Muslim Youth work through reflecting on their experiences of it. We hope that bringing together a collection of contributions from young women and youth workers, in keeping with our practice, will make the book accessible and useful to local, national and even international projects.
Some of the work featured is by Muslim women such as Ulfah Arts, Birmingham University Islamic Society and An-nisa. Some is by local youth workers such as Just For Girls, SAFE project and Birmingham Association of Youth Clubs’ Young Women’s work. Some is in a community work context such as Saheli Project. There is also established national work with young women and girls that seeks to be open to all young women including Muslim young women and girls such as the work of YWCA and Girlguiding UK. The aims of the work range from access to the arts and access to leisure and sports; to education and personal change and development; to support and problem-solving for young women facing difficulties. Whilst some of the projects are gender segregated, others are mixed gender and gender sensitive in their approach. Also, whilst some are specifically for Muslim girls and young women others are for all young women, and sensitive to particular needs and experiences of Muslim girls and young women.
References
Alexander, C (2000) The Asian Gang. Berg: Oxford
Brah,A (1996) Cartographies of Diaspora. Routledge: London and New York
Batsleer, J., Burman. E., Chantler, K. Pantling, K., Smailes, S., McIntosh, H. S. and Warner, S. (2002) Domestic Violence and Minoritisation: supporting women towards independence, Women’s Studies Research Centre, MMU
Carpenter, V (1981) Looking Back to Move On in Working with Girls Newsletter, 5, Sept/Oct. p4-5
Muslim Council of Britain (2005) ‘MCB Direct- Muslim Statistics’ at: http://www.mcb.org.uk/mcbdirect/statistics.php
Nelson, C. , Dickinson, S. , Beetham, M and Batsleer, J. (2000) Border Crossings / translations: resources of hope in community work with women in Greater Manchester in Community, Work and Family, Vol.3
Spence, J. Working with girls and young women: a broken history in ‘Drawing on the past: studies in the history of community and youth work’ edited by Ruth Gilchrist, Tony Jeffs and Jean Spence. Published by the National Youth Agency for Youth and Policy June 2006 (242-261)
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 5 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? Why Only Women?
YWCA England & Wales works with young women facing poverty, discrimination or abuse. We offer youth work and informal education in places especially for women. There are many good reasons for this.
Meeting young women’s needs
“I want to do different stuff to what lads want to do. They don’t really talk. They just want to do different things.” Katie, 16, YWCA Kirkby
Many young women find that they have different interests and learning styles to young men. At YWCA young women benefit from an informal approach to education because it focuses on co-operation and discussion, which is more suited for their learning style. There are some things that young women like to discuss only in the presence of other women. At YWCA we find that women talk freely on things that are important to them, such as: Self-esteem Sexual health Sexuality Relationships and emotions Body image Peer pressure Home and school demands Caring responsibilities Motherhood
Young women need support from professional workers who understand “At YWCA, you are viewed the ways in which their needs differ from those of young men. Women- only space allows each individual young woman to explore what it is as a young woman in she needs and plan for the future. For example, many young women with children want informal education and training that recognises your own right, and not as them as mothers and carers, as well as learners and future employees. And lesbian and bisexual young women need space to explore what ‘partner of’, or ‘mother of’. influences their lives. For example, they can discuss both homophobia and sexism with other women who share their experiences. In the right To actually have that space environment, young women find they can flourish. where you’re accepted is Taking part really important.” Fewer young women than young men take part in mixed gender youth work. Sometimes young women find that young men are louder and use up more of the physical space, leaving young women feeling left out. With limited resources and youth worker time, it is difficult to meet the needs of both groups equally in a mixed environment.
“When I’ve been into mixed youth clubs, you have to fight your way to a pool table if you’re a girl.” Jo, youth worker, YWCA Bilston
Some young women from minority ethnic backgrounds don’t attend youth groups where young
6 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women men go because it is not appropriate for cultural or religious reasons. But at YWCA young Muslim women, for example, can uncover their heads and faces, and young Gypsy women can discuss their health as they know it is safe to do so. YWCA finds that young women vote with their feet by coming to women-only centres. Women-only youth work gives girls a chance to take part in group work, sports or other activities which they may have missed out on if only mixed youth work was available.
Challenging stereotypes Young women are often under pressure to conform to stereotypical female roles. These may include being passive not active, or looking nice rather than speaking up or being clever. For some young women, their career expectations are limited. Working in women only groups gives girls the opportunity to challenge gender stereotypes in two ways. Firstly, they can try out new activities and skills which they may be unwilling to do with young men around. They can broaden their horizons and develop interests and abilities beyond traditionally feminine pursuits. Secondly, when young women feel they can express their views safely, they can challenge stereotypes through discussion. By working in groups young women learn to understand and challenge the prejudice and discrimination they encounter in their everyday lives. They can discover and tackle the things that influence their behaviour. And crucially, they can begin to explore and develop their own identities. “I was recently contacted by Confidence a young woman who suffered Young women are more comfortable and confident about trying new things when there aren’t any young men around. They don’t want to abuse at home, left school risk failure in front of them and are often embarrassed, especially when taking part in activities which are traditionally male-dominated. and had an eating disorder.
“Boys would take the mickey.” Lucy, 14, YWCA Bilston Out of all the provision she
Working with women only gives girls a chance to ‘have a go’ which can has attended we are the only give a real confidence boost. place she felt comfortable, the Safety only workers she trusted.” Young women generally feel safer in a women-only environment. This is especially true for those who have been abused, for whom it is vital to have somewhere to come where they are safe from the fear of sexual, physical or verbal harassment.In a safe and supportive environment, young women can develop the confidence to express themselves. They can speak openly about sensitive issues without fear of being teased or criticised.
“We can talk about anything while we are here.” Cocoa, 15, YWCA West London
Friendship In a women-only environment, young women form supportive friendships and learn to value their friendships with other women, instead of seeing one another as competitors for men’s attention.
“I’d rather be here; I enjoy the company of other girls. The place is really relaxed and comfortable.” Nouhadra, 14
By providing a safe, women-only space we can help young women to gain confidence and self- esteem so that they no longer feel intimidated or held back.
YWCA YWCA England & Wales is the leading charity working with young women facing poverty, discrimination or abuse. To learn more about the work of YWCA, visit www.ywca.org.uk
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 7 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? Ulfah Arts: involving young Muslim women in the arts
Naz Koser, Director of Ulfah Arts
Ulfah Arts is a pioneering organisation working with predominately Muslim women but not exclusively. We work with schools, theatres, museums, arts organisations, touring companies and festivals to develop projects that engage Muslim women as artists and audience members.
I am really interested to know what a English Muslim culture would look like, especially for women. I am a Muslim woman born in England, my parents coming from Pakistan. I was lucky enough to go to Pakistan when I was 12 and decided that England was where I belonged. Don’t get me wrong, there are still parts of Pakistani culture that I love and it is a part of me but it is less important to me than knowing and practising my faith. I see the same attitude amongst many other Muslim women. I started to learn more about Islam a few years ago and realised that there was a blank canvas when it came to certain things like the arts. Yes I know that Islamic art has had an amazing history and contributed to many civilisations around the world. I’ve been to lots of talks by people knowledgeable about the history of Islamic art. However, I am still yet to encounter any discussions or debates around the future of Islamic Art and Culture. Sorry let me correct myself, there are discussions and debates taking place but not from accepting English culture point of view. It is vital that traditional arts practices such as calligraphy are continued but also for Muslims to contribute to the culture in the country in which they live in. One of the first things that comes into my head about Islam is that it is a way of life. Hence this makes me believe that I can find something Islamic in everything I do. It was this belief that made me look into Islam further to see why art forms are not taken up by Muslim women and I realised that there were very few restrictions. I think it’s just been the case that no one had ever given it any thought before. A shame really as my work has shown how the arts can help women develop emotionally, socially and economically. Our work has resulted in integration with mainstream services and wider community. We use the arts as a medium to achieve this, through project development. Our projects are on themes around intercultural, faith and ethnic dialogue and interaction. Women on our projects get to interact with other members of the community that they would not normally mix with helping them socially. Emotionally we look at issues that affect them such as being a single parent and coping
8 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
with bereavement. Economically the women develop skills and confidence that make them more ready for employment, volunteering or further education. Some women have gone on to deliver projects for Ulfah Arts and have earned a direct income.
Our aim is to empower women/men and break down negative stereotypes, religious hatred and intolerance through bringing communities together in a spirit of friendship, common understanding and shared sense of purpose.
lfah Arts started off initially researching and working with practising Muslim women. It has developed an expertise in working with this group but not exclusively. We run projects that engage a wide range of faiths and cultures.
The statistics around Muslim women in the UK are concerning with the highest Ulevels of economic inactivity and poor health. I’ve seen how the experiences in younger years in life can contribute to this.
One of the teachers we have worked with recently commented on how Muslim girls are predominately faded away into the fabric of the school. She could not believe girls she had taught over the years who were shy and appeared to be uninterested in the arts (performing arts) to be so confident, vibrant and creative after we undertook a project that involved using a source material which happened to be an Islamic faith based poem, and then used this for the girls to create their own poems and songs.
One of the biggest barriers in doing Ulfah Arts is the lack of understanding and appreciation of how the arts can benefit an individual. For Muslim girls on most occasions it’s something that is out of reach, that is they have no role models and can’t see themselves in that frame. The success of Ulfah Arts has been because it has spent the last two years developing examples and role models that girls can relate to. The Ulfah Collective is Britain’s first practising Muslim female band. At present they have performed to women only audiences, without music using just the duff (hand drum). Their music is universal including Arabic, English, Urdu and even Japanese lyrics in the style of nasheed, gospel, rap and even rock. The band members practise Islam in different ways which has raised debates on certain issues such as performing to a mixed male and female audience to whether to clap as some Muslims believe this is not allowed. At Ulfah we don’t preach any view point in Islam. We understand our parameters and as along as our work is within these we are happy to work with all people and respect how they practise their Islam. However, this means that band members have to be really sure about themselves and how they practise their faith. The Ulfah Collective has performed at Wembley arena longside Robin Gibb from the Bee Gees to touring some of the major mainstream festivals in the UK, such as Artsfest in Birmingham and Brighton Sacred Music Festival. It has for the first time made women only events look fashionable with most festivals agreeing to having a women only event at which the Ulfah Collective could perform. Our audiences have included Muslims and non Muslims.
Developing young Muslim women as audiences for the arts is one major strategy for Ulfah Arts. Their needs are very basic but if not addressed can form a major barrier for their participation. Key considerations include:
Transport – where possible Ulfah arts has provided transport to its events and projects. Also looking at location and ensuring it is suitable and providing public transport information. Timing of events – where possible to undertake events around prayer times. Also consider what time it gets dark. Childcare – childcare is a major issue for Muslim women, there is a lack of childcare provision that Muslim women feel is suitable for their children. Therefore on most occasions events need to consider children or women will not attend. This also affects young muslim women as most of the time they are the babysitters.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 9 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Women only – this is Ulfah Arts niche, in providing women only environments we reach women who would not normally engage. Parental support – in order to gain support from parents for young Muslim women to engage with art forms Ulfah uses an approach where it will promote the link with the faith as a selling point. Marketing and communication about events and projects need to be emphasised with this in mind. Therefore it’s important from the outset to think through the projects with all your audiences in mind.
Ulfah Arts is pioneering ideas on how to work with faith and arts. It has contributed to new ideas around how to make theatre. An example of this is exploring the world famous Islamic poem called the poem of the cloak or Quasida Burda, a project being developed with the Birmingham Rep Theatre.
Aims of the project include:
Making this 700 year old poem more relevant to the current day. Making it more accessible to people of other faiths highlighting the universal themes in the poem. To attempt to give a better understanding of the Islamic faith. To generate original writing as a response to the poem.
The end piece will be a collaboration of women from the Ulfah Collective, arts professionals, feedback from audiences, contribution from other faith groups and Ulfah Arts itself.
I believe the arts for young Muslim women can help them to become more confident and offer them more choice in life. I would encourage more projects that look at the arts and the faith agenda focusing on commonalities.
I feel quite excited about the future and the contribution Muslim women could make to English culture, I think it will get easier as the years go by and communities can begin to see the benefits of our work and engaging with the arts.
10 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Introduction to the BUISOC
By Farida Chand
Birmingham University Islamic Society (BUISOC) is currently the largest student society at the University of Birmingham. It was founded by three young dynamic students in 1957 and at the time compromised just 14 members. Alhamdullilah currently it has over 500 members with the numbers increasing everyday. The main objective of Birmingham University Islamic society is to attain the pleasure of Allah (swt). It is also an essential aim to bring others; Muslims and non-Muslims alike, closer to Allah (swt) and also help them to emulate the ways of the messenger Muhammad (saw). Obtaining closeness to Allah is manifested in a variety of ways however; the best method in attaining this is through prayer. It is for this reason the BUISOC is largely positioned around the prayer room. The prayer room is situated in the student guild and is a registered Birmingham University Guild of Student Society (BUGS). The room is essentially maintained by committee members but the rubber gloves and disinfectant are available for all!
As an Islamic society that endeavours to follow in the footsteps of the prophet Muhammad (saw), the prayer room is segregated and conforms to a traditional segregated policy. The prayer room also serves as a committee room, where the ISOC hold their meetings and discussions surrounding campus issues and future events. It also serves as a common room, canteen and study room. Multi-functional – that’s the best way I think I can put it. The prayer room contains a trusty kettle, a microwave, a vacuum and strangely enough a popcorn maker (we still don’t know what we’re doing with it!) This year has also seen the construction of the sisters’ own toilet facilities and wudhu area which I have proudly named … wait for it … The Powder Room.
How and why I got involved with Isoc
sat my A-levels at the Josiah Mason College (JMC); JMC is a mixed college with the majority coming from the South Asian and Afro Caribbean community. Although JMC has a fairly large community of Muslims it unfortunately failed and still fails to have an Islamic society and prayer room, something I and the Muslim community on campus would have really benefited from if available. It was in the second academic year of my TheologyI and Islamic studies degree, and after much persuasion from my friends that I joined
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 11 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? the ISOC committee. Although I was not a fresher I was not well acquainted with the ISOC committee members at the time and so was a little apprehensive when I came to sign up as a possible candidate.
Coming from a male dominated family, I was naturally inclined to sports and thus I started my Isoc ‘career’ as sports rep. At primary school I was an energetic little activist who took every opportunity to play sports, I successfully captained my class rounders team and represented my school at the local schools netball competition. Unfortunately, JMC had little to offer to women so, most of my time at college was spent sitting, chatting or hanging in the common room, the most active I got was playing fuse ball, so it was hardly surprising that I was two stones heavier by the end of the year!
Being Sports rep at Isoc meant that I could organise events that I had endeavoured and longed for throughout my time in college. The first sports event I organised was a basketball event during freshers’1 week last year. We had a good turn out on the day and from the look on the sisters faces all the hard work running around trying to organise the event paid off! The sisters clearly enjoyed the event and I have since been approached many times to organise similar events. Unlike the brothers, who play football regularly on the Astroturf, the sisters have to play indoors and conform to the wisdom of the hijab rules. It can be extremely difficult at times to find ‘female friendly’ places and also extremely expensive (unfortunately the ISOC does not have a money tree in the prayer room!).
The university is a fairly large university and compromises of many campuses. The Medical School is situated approximately ten minutes away from the student guild and it is due to this distance the med school (as it is commonly known) has its own separate prayer room and committee. The med school often actively organises events for the medics and we always get an invite too. Last year, the med school organised for both brothers and sisters a day out playing archery and on the part of the sisters I can say that it was a really nice and rewarding experience since it was a Sunnah (tradition) of the prophet Muhammad (saw). It also helped us to feel a sense of community and cohesion between us all which was really inspiring, unifying and warm.
Alongside sports organiser I was also given the task of events organiser. Another chief objective of BUISOC is to involve other students and to provide unity amongst the Muslims on campus. The ISOC regularly have study circles, usually on the Wednesday when most students have the day or at least afternoon off. The sisters provide basic Arabic and Tajweed (the science of reciting the Qur’an) for beginners every year.
Islam gives profound importance to charity and aid work, the prophet Muhammad (saw) once said, ‘blessed is the wealth of a muslim from which he gives to the poor, to orphans and to needy travellers.’2 Another of my endeavours during my first year in ISOC was to organise a charity event during Ramadhan and it is for this reason that I set up an Orphan welfare scheme within the University of Birmingham; raising money for orphans in Palestine and Chechnya. Although it was not a large endeavour, I successfully raised over £1,000, which was given to Islamic Relief to distribute.
We have many collective charity events with the brothers and the most important and rewarding of them all is Charity Week (CW). CW is an initiative that was introduced last year and it has proved to be extremely popular with both Muslims and non-Muslims. The first year of Charity Week collectively along with other Midland universities raised over £7,000. During this year, the sisters initiated a friendly competition with the brothers at BUISOC seeing who could raise the most and although we lost miserably that year, this year I believe we won (as the brothers have been extremely quiet on the whole ‘competition’ side of things – hmm I wonder why). This year ISOC managed to raise almost £7,000 alone for Orphans worldwide, taking this year’s grand total to nearly £13,000. Also this year Charity Week ended with a major event comprising Shaykh Ziaullah Khan and the famous Nasheed artist Dawud Wharnsby Ali.
12 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Ramadhan
For a Muslim the favourite month of the year has to be the month of Ramadhan. Ramadhan is a month of tranquillity and peace and ISOC has a particularly unique atmosphere during this month. The activities during this month are spiritually uplifting, energetic and exciting. Throughout Ramadhan ISOC provides Iftar everyday and closes the month with the Grand Iftar. The Grand Iftar is an extraordinary affair that begins with a guest speaker and ends with a full course meal. We have had many great speakers ranging form Shaykh Zaheer Mamood and Shaykh Uthmaan Latif. The event attracts hundreds of sisters and really helps bring unison between us all. We collectively eat (usually biryani and samosas) in the prayer room and have a phenomenal time. This year the sisters ISOC organised a spiritual circle just before the grand iftar. From all my time spent with ISOC organising and attending ISOC events the spiritual circle has been the best experience and highlight of my time at university. I was not alone in my thoughts; one sister is quoted to have said that ‘the aura in the room can be compared to none other. A feeling of peace, tranquillity and serenity descended upon us all – it was almost like you could feel Allah’s rahmah (mercy) showering us all’.
Of course Ramadhan ends with the blessed day of Eid and the sisters make it a priority to throw a party. Last year as events organiser I organised an Eid party in the Deb Hall at the student guild. The Deb Hall is a large hall with spot lights and a stage to entertain so, we had nasheeds (Islamic songs) sung by ISOC sisters, pizza and loads and loads of party food. The sisters had the opportunity to dress up, whip off their hijabs and re-wear all their expensive Eid gear.
I am now in my final year of my degree, and I have been promoted to vice. The head sister is currently on placement for seven weeks so I’m juggling with the head role too. You would think I’d be stressed being vice, a final year student with eight 4,000 word essays and a 12,000 word dissertation, but alhamdullilah this year has been really relaxed in the Islamic society. This has a lot to do with a very hardworking bunch of sisters and an exceptional secretary and good friend Faaiza.
What ISOC has done for me?
For me ISOC has changed my life completely, it has helped me build my ambitions, confidence, understanding and it has also enhanced my knowledge, not only concerning myself but of others too. To gain a deeper insight into how ISOC has impacted people’s lives, I posed this question to the ISOC secretary Faaiza and this is how she responded:
‘Being a part of BUISOC has been one of the greatest and most amazing experiences of my life. Isoc changed my life and I thank Allah (swt) every day for giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a dynamic institute and I pray that Allah (swt) gives every person of the Ummah to experience something of this kind. Isoc was my strength when I came to Islam, my hope when I needed guidance and my light when I felt lost. It has helped me to grow and to mature spiritually and mentally and it has instilled within me a deep yearning and passion to want to strive to serve the Ummah in every way that I can.’
I will leave you with a message written to freshers on behalf of the sisters at the BUISOC which I feel sums up nicely what the Islamic society are about. We’re not a breeding ground for terrorism but instead we are a group of sisters who are trying their utmost to create a safe haven for other sisters to grow, to bond and to learn spiritually and socially.
We hope you’ve found your way round the university maze! Insha-allah we are here if you need any help with directions!
Our aim is to provide you with help, support and a friendly cheerful face during your time at university. With all the stress and rush of Uni-life, the prayer room provides a quiet oasis to retreat in. A spot where you can come and forget the chaos through prayer, quiet reflection and by sharing with other sisters in a relaxed environment.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 13 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Take out five minutes and come along! The friends you make during your life as a student will be shadows you’ll keep throughout your time at University ... and beyond!
Finally please don’t feel shy or reserved about attending ISOC. We are all parts of the same bouquet of flowers; the wreath, the roses, the ribbon and the cellophane all work together to present a beautiful gift. There are many blessings in our differences and our diversity should be celebrated as this is a characteristic of our religion. Essentially we are all here to learn from one another as we row this boat of studentship together for the next three years.
Notes
1 Freshers is the introduction week dedicated to new students (usually undergraduates) at the university 2 Sahih Al-Bukhari
14 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY
Youth Work with Muslim Young Women a
women’s group Saheli Women’s Group: a neighbourhood initiative by Rakhyia Begum
project such as Saheli Women’s Group (SWG) depends on young females in the community taking up on the opportunities we offer; if they did not we would cease to exist. One of the opportunities we offer is an ‘Adventure Scheme’. this has grown out of a group of young women coming together to engage more of the female population in community activity. Together we felt this could be achieved Aby starting with a fun relaxing activity and building the confidence of the individuals involved to then further support them to become active and make a contribution to not only their own lives, but to the betterment of the community as a whole.
We take the young girls out of the niche of traditional stereotypical outings such as museums and art galleries to the thrills of quad biking; horse riding; canoeing, skiing, biking and rock climbing. This fills the void that is left from the lack of provision that is provided by the local statutory agencies in the area; while still taking into account cultural sensitivities.
The group meets to take part in these activities organised by female workers who understand the cultural and religious needs of the girls and who have worked to build the trust of the parents even as far as taking mother/ daughter groups away on the activities. With strict leaving/arrival times given to parents and exact locations of where they will be, the outreach workers have built up trust and mutual understanding between community groups and parents who then allow their daughters to participate with us.
If we were not an all female outfit we would not be able to engage the numbers of young women that we do. Through an initial consultation the women in the community requested a ‘women only space’ where they could come together to exercise and meet socially. We now have a vibrant hub where 60 plus women come to use the gym per day. This allows women to interact with other women from different cultural, religious backgrounds and they are not only getting healthy but learning from and about others. It is a vibrant hub that is well used and is a shining example of how ‘women only’ provision is needed and will be accessed if provided.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 15 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
One of the participants in the group, a young Muslim female, felt strongly that separate provision is needed in the community to enable young Muslim girls to engage in activities that are an extension of school and home life. The idea that parents’ trust is required for participation is a key to the success of a project. The parents need to feel that their daughters are not anyway being subjected to any harmful influences from their organisers, peers or people at the place where activities will be held. The reputation and perception of the venue are crucial to these individuals’ experiences of being allowed to engage. Parents have not allowed this individual to take part in activities in a newly renovated youth club due to the fact that they have ‘heard’ the venue is a place that young males hang outside of and the interior is rough and ready with graffiti and little soft furnishings.
The young girls who work with us do not suffer with any uncertainty about missing out on co-ed activities and do not feel they are missing out on anything. They are fulfilled, vibrant individuals who are having fun and maintaining their identity while appreciating the opportunity they have been given.
There is this notion where people assume that separate provision means separation of the community and youth, creating a gap between the two genders within the community as well as cultural barriers. I see it as a way of making a pluralist society work; why shouldn’t we have our “own space” and still be able to integrate – surely that makes the difference between integration and assimilation: the fact we are able to keep an identity through our own cultural groups which are aware of our cultural boundaries and are willing to accept us regardless, which society will never do. With regards to the girls separate provision it’s the path to achieve acceptance in my view because having an identity allows you to be strong enough to put that identity into mainstream society. In our words, having the Yemeni women and children society and the Saheli as separate provision for me as a young woman has not only allowed me to define myself as a woman in this society but a “Muslim, Yemeni British woman” it’s given me the confidence not to allow myself to be swallowed by society but to live in it confidently.
We strongly agree with separate female provision and do not see this as a ‘separatist cage’ but as a means of successfully establishing one’s identity in a safe environment before facing the ever confusing world that we live in.
16 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women Bolton lads and Girls Club
By Nafisa Mallu and Alanna Rice
The Just 4 girls project
ach Sunday afternoon Just 4 Girls invites girls from every community to join and enjoy Bolton Lads and Girls Club. These sessions began in 1997 with the aim to challenge racism and ignorance and nurture acceptance and understanding through integration, and the results have been excellent. We are based in the town centre, and have found that being in such a central location has enabled us to createE a neutral setting to help welcome members of every community. We can have as many as 180 members visiting us on a Sunday afternoon from Bolton and beyond!
What we do
Health and Fitness – Through the exploration of a range of athletic opportunities, members have the opportunity to create their own fitness programme. Activities include use of gym, boxercise, football, badminton, netball, rounders and wall climbing.
Healthy Living and Lifestyle Choices – A connexions adviser is available to help members with any queries or issues and a participation development worker enables the girls to gain accredited qualifications in the activities that they participate in.
Creative Arts – Members are encouraged to use different media such as drama, dance, creative writing and lots of arts and crafts. As well as gaining confidence they use the activities as a tool to promote their ideas and express their thoughts.
About our members ...
The club is open to all girls aged 8 years and over. Members as young as 10 years of age can have access to the gym facilities. Most of our members have continued attending the project since it started.
“I think it’s fun and enjoyable, We learn things as well as meeting new people. It’s about relaxing and doing different things.” Zarah and Hafsa Nawaz aged 12
“It’s fantastic opportunity for them, it’s giving them avenues to explore. They really look forward to coming every Sunday, otherwise they would be bored”. Mrs Nawaz (Parent)
“We make friends, and you get to be yourself ... Coz it’s girls only! Its my time! ... a place for hanging out and making friends from different backgrounds, which you don’t otherwise come across.” Tasneem Patel aged 16
“The girls get to mix with different people ... not just girls from their community. They get to be themselves ... Kids don’t seem to do that anymore, they can’t play on the streets like we did. The club is a safe and secure place with lots of opportunities where Khadija is happy to go. J4G gives a chance for girls to get together and form friendships. It also gives them responsibility, such as maintaining these friendships, Consideration for younger members, welcoming new
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 17 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? members and looking after the club ... their club” Mrs Sumaiah Ismail (Parent)
“I get to mix about with different cultures, there are loads of sports and activities. The arts and crafts are really good.” Khadija Ismail aged 10
“We wear a veil, when we are in the club we take them off as there are no boys, we take part in all the activities, such as football. If boys were here we wouldn’t join in ... in fact we probably wouldn’t come. We like to come here and catch up with our friends and take part in what goes on.” Fahima and Nasira Dalal aged 17 and 16 Outreach Works!
Minibus Service – We provide a pick-up and drop-off service for members from designated points in different areas of Bolton – mostly in communities with a large minority ethnic community.
Recent Projects
Girls Inter-mosque Football Tournament and Sports Day – During the summer holidays over 160 girls and women arrived to enjoy an afternoon which included a fantastic range of sports including trampolining, wall climbing, boxercise, badminton, football and netball – with the highlight of the afternoon being the club’s first ever “Inter-mosque Football Tournament for Girls”. All who attended received participation certificates and medals.
Ramadan Diary Radio Project – The Ramadan Radio Diary was a project which took place over the holy month of Ramadan and the idea was for the girls to come together and discuss and share their thoughts and feelings through the medium of radio and part of the Club’s existing radio project – ‘That Radio Thing’. Each week the discussions were focused on a certain theme such as the life of Prophet Muhammed and some of the girls also recited prayers and songs. The girls learnt how to interview one another, presentation skills and how to operate the digital audio recorder. The project did not stop there, the audio was edited and produced into a five minute package which was then played on Radio Ramadan in Bolton each Sunday. This was the first time the radio station had played such pieces and they were received well by the community. A little way into the project, the group was invited to take part in a discussion show live on air and the girls thoroughly enjoyed their first brush with fame. The girls are hoping to build on these new radio skills through other projects and will be visiting the BBC Radio Lancashire studios in the New Year. Nafisa Mallu – Project Coordinator/Artsworker
Why does it work?
On a very basic level, the staff reflects the young people attending the session and there is also a mix of ages, faiths and staff from different parts of Bolton thus creating a comfortable setting. There are also non-Muslim girls attending and it has been important to include these girls in all activities.
The activities delivered and offered to the girls are diverse in their range and importantly play to both the similarities and differences within the session. We celebrate Eid and Diwali, but we also celebrate Christmas and Easter. All the girls take part and learn about one another in the process. Good practice hints ...
Don’t recreate Mosque The Muslim girls who come to the Club wear their faith daily – be it at school, in the home or on the street. We create an atmosphere where girls and young women express themselves
18 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women as they desire. This does not mean that we deliberately go against their religion; we just create space for their existence as girls and women alongside their faith.
Be clear about your objective Start where the girls are, your service provision must come from them and we help them travel onwards. This can be through developing skills or helping them to make friends.
Listen to the young people Have an open dialogue with the young people; let them help you design the service. What do they want or need?
Be transparent – open your doors Do what you say you will. If this means having female staff only, ensure this happens. Trust within the community is vital to the success of your project. Invite people into the sessions who should support you.
You don’t have to be a Muslim to work here but it helps! As a non-Muslim youth worker working in such sessions I have learnt much about how I approach my work.
At the outset, some myths were dispelled for me. It would be naïve to think that you do not need to know about the Muslim faith and culture to work with young people but I have found that asking the girls about their beliefs and lifestyle has been the best way to build accurate, true knowledge. It has not been seen as an imposition but a process, which benefits us both.
An extension of this is a Ramadan Radio diary project I started with some of the girls in the session. I knew some details about the period and thought it would be a great idea to record the girls’ feelings and thoughts during the month, and produce weekly segments, which would increase other people’s awareness of what actually happens during Ramadan and the reasons behind it. Through contacts we had we were able to engage a local community radio station to play our week’s piece and we were even invited on to the station for our own show! The girls enjoyed the experience of learning some radio skills, it boosted their confidence as their voices are not often heard. Most importantly, it gave them a chance to hear themselves speaking about what they know best – their life. Alanna Rice – Participation Development Worker
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 19 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? Working with a mixed group of Girls and Young Women including Muslims by Julie Cockett and Simbi Folarin
am currently employed part-time (12 hours) in the post of Area Young Women and Girls’ Work Worker for the Birmingham Youth Service. The groups I support are all in the Ladywood and Perry Barr areas of Birmingham and most of the work I develop is with young women from African Caribbean and Asian Muslim backgrounds. One of the key elements of the work is to develop projects where the young women can come together. I have been quite fortunate in being able to forge a partnership with BAYC’s Young Women’s Development Officer and for the last six years we have been devising and delivering work in support of young women’s agenda.
This has been very effective with the development of the ‘Mothers & Daughters’ programmes – the past two years we have put on a conference where individual groups of young women have identified a health issue and developed a workshop around it to be presented at the conference.
Although the conference has been the main focus of the overall project, for me the most effective outcomes have come from bringing the groups together on the residential. The residentials have been used to evaluate the process of developing and delivering the conferences. These have created spaces where diverse groups of young women have been able to come together and in doing so have challenged many of the stereotypes that they hold about each other.
As a worker you are able to witness and respond to the anxiety and prejudices displayed by the young women as they come to terms with the prospect of ‘living’ together, albeit for a weekend. ‘Do we have to go with them?’ was a common question from both sides. Positive experiences from the conference and workers who had developed relationships with the young women across all the groups I feel was key to the groups agreeing to take the emotional risk of coming together in a new environment.
As part of my own professional development I did research that explored what support is available to workers who work with Black young women. Due to the way that work with young women has become less visible within the service from an organisational perspective, I was interested in exploring if the reasons for the work evolving in the first place are still a valid focus for today’s youth worker, and if so what mechanisms are or should be in place, to support and enable the youth worker to address the identified needs specifically in relation to Black young women. Through this I have been seeing how work with young women had achieved a national profile; but then recommendations made by female youth workers to secure the work over twenty years ago, are being largely ignored. Letherby (2003) and Wilkinson (1996) believe that we should build on the valuable insights and mistakes from previous generations of feminists, otherwise we will find ourselves continually at the beginning, rather than benefiting from those who have gone before us.
My own experience of working in a mixed youth club environment sees young women on
20 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women the margins of activity, it takes intervention from the youth workers in order to sustain any quality working relationship with young women as a group. For the intervention to bear fruit the worker needs to understand and feel confident about translating the theory of an anti- discriminatory approach into practice.
If social space is important to Black women’s resistance, then I see it as a key part of my role in developing work with young women to create spaces for them to speak openly about how they experience the environments they live in. Being able to recognise how my own learning has evolved through supportive family networks as well as informal work related networks, I can appreciate the importance of being able to speak openly and at the same time have my attitudes questioned by people who I feel confident with, in that they too are part of the struggle for understanding.
Being a Black female youth worker it has taken time for me to understand my role, I have enjoyed my work with young women and it has given me the chance to find my voice and create opportunities that support girls and young women in exploring their thoughts and feelings in relation to themselves and the wider community. I feel that my role has been limited by the structures I work within, as they have not provided any clear guidance on how to respond to the needs of specific groups.
It is still predominately white men who, in the main, define the aims and objectives of youth work as it is currently practiced. Female youth workers find themselves constrained to work within a system which only infrequently takes cognisance of the needs of girls and young women. This is even more the case for Black and Asian women and girls. (Parmar, 1985, 1988 cited in Spence 1990: pg 81) As youth workers if we do
Through my own practice I am able to create spaces where girls, not understand how systems young women, and youth workers have space to talk and share, and I do believe that such spaces are essential if we need young people of oppression influence and those that work with them to become critical and willing to examine, understand and possibly change their day to day experiences the personal and the (Hooks,1989; Hill-Collins,1991) professional, then we are My research helped me to understand that effective work with girls and young women needs to be carried out by staff who are informed not in a position to resist or and understand an anti-sexist, anti-racist approach to youth work. A key point of my research is to argue that there are at present no challenge them initiatives or structures within the service that actively facilitate staff training to support staff in developing their understanding in relation to the impact of racism and sexism on young women; and within that respond to the needs of different groups of young women. As youth workers if we do not understand how systems of oppression influence the personal and the professional, then we are not in a position to resist or challenge them (Mahood,1982) which then leads us to collude in our own oppression and worse still mislead and deny young people the opportunity to become critical and feel empowered about their own situations and realities.
As BAYC’s Young Women’s Development Officer my specific remit is to develop effective models for youth practice to engage young women and those that work with them. My first experience in that role was to work with an Asian group of young women around body images. What was integral in the beginning for both parties to work effectively was for us, that’s the group and I, to come out of our comfort zone and be prepared to learn and share knowledge and experiences. The project focussed on society’s views of young women and what views they had of themselves. It was double edged because many of the viewpoints were that of a typically white society and these were not always appropriate for this particular group of young women. What the work evolved was ways in which both viewpoints could be incorporated and supported. It also flagged up barriers that could and did at sometimes affect the work, like for instance my being African Caribbean and not Muslim and so some of the young women’s
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 21 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? parents/families were apprehensive about my involvement. With the right support this apprehension was elevated after meeting with several of the parents and being given worthy support from Asian colleagues. This project became a major stepping stone in support of working inclusively with young ‘Black’ women. I do feel that there is a need to work sometimes exclusively with young women so that relationships and trust can be formed, they are continually oppressed even by today’s standards of so-called equality. This gender specific work enables groups/individuals to be more reassured within themselves and also helps when they are faced with the inevitable extended group meeting such as a residential with other groups of young women. I feel that the lack of investment of time and resource for young women whether they are Asian, African Caribbean or white detracts from the value and importance of the work that is needed for young women to be fully integrated as worthy partners within today’s society.
In agreement with my colleague I find that young women are still struggling to be at the forefront of service providers’ agendas. I am fully aware of the Teenage Pregnancy Agenda, but fail to believe that this is really the only cause for concern for young women. The need for young women to have their say is paramount if we as practitioners wish to support their involvement and that they are not seen as a problem or hindrance because the group requires a female worker for the work to continue: as most Muslim girls groups require, if they are not supported with this need then they do not gain the opportunity to gain access to services.
The continued work in partnership with Ladywood Girls’ Work Forum means that more young women are able to encounter different styles of work and meet young women whom they would not usually meet. The environment created means that any group of young women can engage in a process that develops confidence and promotes a welcoming atmosphere for all. This environment supports and acknowledges difference and creates more understanding.
BAYC is a youth association that has over 200 groups affiliate annually, and I am finding increasingly that one of the main areas of concern for groups who affiliate is how they can engage with young women effectively. I ask the question if these young women are not gaining access to provisions provided by the youth service are they ‘the hard to reach’ that is so popularly referred to in many initiatives and what reasons are there if that is so?
From this I am continually supporting groups in creating strategic plans for engaging with young women. My coined phrase is that:
I work in isolation for integration
This is the basis for my girls’ work strategy. It is important particularly in instances of racism that young women are given the opportunity for support to be a part of the decision making processes that have direct and indirect impact on their lives which in turn enables them to deal with the wider community and address the oppression they are subjected to on a daily basis, and that the support given is in an environment that is non-threatening.
We cannot continue to classify them as marginalized or ‘hard to reach’. Wierenga (2001:1) states:
By ‘othering’ them we reject the rich and powerful stories that they bring us about who we have become as a community, about social structures that bar them access to significant resources ...
If we no longer work with them this further assists and supports the dominant class of this oppressive state. I believe that there is validity in working in isolation with young women and I am fully aware of the benefits it brings. As Milner and Carolin write:
Children from black and minority ethnic groups need to be thought of specifically, individually and culturally, since the situation and experiences of children in general may
22 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
not help workers to understand those complex relationships that are present in working with children of African or Asian descent. (Milner & Carolin, 2000: 66)
It would appear from the two statements that there is a contradiction. However, what they highlight is the need for gender specific work to continue particularly with regards to racism and sexism to enable young women in particular to be a part of decision making processes that affect them directly and indirectly. Without this work who hears the voices of young women?
However, if work in isolation is done with young black women in support of these statements who is working in isolation with white young people and with young men around the same issues so that integration on equal terms becomes possible?
Points that need addressing
Specific training is needed for staff to deliver the work. The need for gender specific work has not lessened but the delivery of it has changed so training needs to be current and core. Space for dialogue is key, so creating environments to enable this to occur supports the work ie informal spaces, networks, forums for workers and young people. A needs analysis of the work is necessary. There is a lack of information available about the effectiveness of gender specific work. Gender specific work is necessary as oppression still exists and many (young women in particular) are excluded from society.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 23 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Bibliography
Collins, Patricia Hill. (1991) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York: Routledge. hooks, bell (1994) Teaching to Transgress. Education as the practice of freedom, London: Routledge. 216 + x pages. hooks, Bell (2003) Teaching Community. A pedagogy of hope, New York: Routledge. 160 pages Letherby G (2003) Feminist Research in Theory and Practice. Open University Press, Buckingham and Philadelphia. Milner. P and Carolin. B, (2000) – ‘Time to Listen to Children’, Personal & Professional Communication. London: Routledge. Spence, J (2003) – 20 Years of Youth and Policy, Leicester: The National Youth Agency Wilkinson R. (1996). Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality. New York: Routledge.
Journals
WIERENGA, A (2001) – Losing and Finding the Plot: The value of listening to young people. In: International conference on young people and informal education, University of Strathclyde, Starting Where They Are, 6-9 September 2001 Glasgow Scotland.
24 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women Muslim youth work: beyond the hijab
By Helen Gregory
oung Muslims face a unique set of challenges growing up in the UK in the wake of recent world events. Helen Gregory discovers how youth groups are stepping in to offer assistance. “My faith is very important to me and I like to spend time with people who have similar interests and beliefs because most of my school is non- Muslim.” Eighteen-year-old Werdah Ahmed, from Birmingham, has lived in the UKY all her life and considers herself thoroughly British, but she values time spent with other Muslims.That’s why she and more than 30 other teenage girls in the city meet regularly at youth project Young Muslim Sisters in Sparkhill, where they are encouraged to join discussions on subjects such as the practices of Islam and prayers as well as taking part in day trips and sports activities.
This time together gives them the confidence to feel proud to be British Muslims and encourages them to make a positive contribution to society, says Ifhat Rafiq, project coordinator at Young Muslim Sisters, part of the umbrella organisation Young Muslims UK: “A lot of youngsters are unsure about their identity, but by understanding what it means to be both British and Muslim they realise that there isn’t much conflict.”
Islamic traditions
Most Muslim youth work is no different to any other youth work: the young people play sports, learn about healthy eating and simply hang out with their peers. But groups tend to be single sex and run by voluntary organisations that have close relationships with mosques.
Abdur Rahman, coordinator of the Young Muslim Brothers and Sisters groups in east London, believes that such projects give young people a chance to talk about topics that might be difficult to discuss with parents, schools or local imams, and help prevent them from getting involved with some of the fringe groups that are clamouring for their attention.
Rafiq explains that the group she runs has also provided the young people with a place to discuss their take on recent world events, such as the London bombings.”Young people get very frustrated about what they see and hear in the news – we have to make sure they don’t feel like the victims of this society,” she says.
But it’s mainly everyday life issues that are high on the agenda. Many young Muslims still encounter problems at school, where teachers don’t understand their traditions or dress, or discourage young people from practising their faith. Parental pressure also remains an issue.”Parents aren’t always as involved as they should be, or they are obsessed and will really push their children,” says Rafiq. “Girls can be expected to do lots around the house instead of homework.”
Most of the girls who attend the Young Muslim Sisters project go to mainly Muslim schools where they don’t get bullied for their beliefs. They do, however, find themselves having to answer questions about their hijabs from inquisitive children, or occasionally deal with aggressive behaviour. The project teaches them to be polite and walk away if necessary.
But young Muslim Salah Ahmed, 16, from Leeds, says he has had no problems growing up in the UK. “I feel very welcomed,” says Salah, but he admits that it’s hard to watch some of the portrayals of Muslims on TV.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 25 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Religion isn’t always relevant
Salah attends a youth group run by Leeds Youth Service in the city’s Harehills area that offers sporting and outdoor activities such as go-karting and climbing for 13 to 19-year-olds. Although most of the young men who attend are Muslim, the project doesn’t deliberately target this faith group and the group’s ethnic make-up is a result of being based in a predominantly Muslim area.
“I don’t feel the need for it to be brought up in discussions,” says Ravinder Kumar, a non- Muslim youth worker who runs projects in the area for Leeds Youth Service.
Jumanur Rahman, 16, from Leeds, agrees that religion isn’t relevant to the group, and even reckons it would be better if teenagers from other cultures came along. “It’s nice to be able to talk about issues that are going on around the world and talk about how Muslims can get a bad press,” he says. “But I’ve never had a problem with anyone disrespecting me because of my religion.”
The project’s multi-faith focus and the fact that it employs nationally qualified youth workers means that funding is not a problem for this Leeds group. This is not the case for all Muslim youth projects. Young Muslim Sisters’ Rafiq admits that the group has had funding applications turned down because it has the word Muslim in its title.
Like Young Muslim Brothers and Sisters in Newham,the Birmingham-based group relies on donations, but the meetings aren’t exclusively for Muslims. But in reality, if young people from other faiths were to attend and the project were to become more like a mainstream youth club, some parents might object.
Rafiq is keen not to make Muslim parents out to be the bad guys. They play a valuable supportive role in their children’s lives and many appreciate it when the project broaches some of the more taboo subjects such as relationships and menstruation.
In Newham, Young Muslim Brothers and Sisters is not afraid to tackle issues that affect all young people, such as bullying and relationships, but complex personal problems are often referred to the Muslim Youth Helpline. Abdur Rahman says: “If you push them away, where will they go? We try to have a nurturing, inclusive environment to support our young people.”
Umamah’s story
One good indication that Britain is becoming more multicultural is that young women like Umamah Ahmed feel the need to attend Muslim groups.
Most of her friends at school in Birmingham were non-Muslim so Umamah, 18, joined Young Muslim Sisters to talk about her religion, pray and learn social skills. “It’s important to have a range of friends to get a different perspective and strike a balance,” she says. Now studying at the city’s university, she always finds acceptance from fellow students, although Umamah admits that issues such as drinking are cropping up: “As I don’t drink I feel excluded from some things, which can be difficult, but my friends respect my choices.”
She also acknowledges that she sometimes has to justify her dress or beliefs: “Certain people don’t know why you wear a headscarf but I’m always happy to explain it.”
Umamah believes that Britain is a tolerant society, and that living in a city is easier than a more rural setting. She adds: “I’m proud to be British and grateful that I’ve had more opportunities here than in Pakistan where I was born. I’ve found respect for my religion, although as Muslims can sometimes get a negative press it’s important that we talk to our neighbours and break out of the ghetto – we don’t want to be segregated.”
26 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
A strategy for Muslim youth work
Muslim youth work could be about to get the big push it needs to achieve a higher profile.
The next few weeks will see the launch of the National Foundation for Muslim Youth Work and a web site, both aiming to support and promote Muslim youth work.
The new group, which is based at The National Youth Agency’s Leicester office, will provide a platform for connecting youth workers and young people to policy and government while offering support and expertise to groups that are looking to develop youth work with Muslim young people.
“It’s early days, but the strategy has already made an impact and two workers have been appointed – although we have kept a low profile while we wait for the branding to be developed,” says MG Khan, a lecturer in youth work at the University of Birmingham and driving force behind the new foundation, who put together Towards a National Strategy for Muslim Youth earlier this year.
The document called for a platform to encourage a relationship between Muslim youth workers, or youth workers who work with Muslims, and the Department for Education and Skills. It also urged investment in Muslim youth work training, including new courses and training modules.
“We aim to hold workshops in the future as well as youth forums so that we are empowering people at the coal face,” says Khan. “We haven’t got funding to meet the targets that were set out by the document though – we’re getting there slowly but there is still a long way to go.”
Reprinted from Young People Now magazine, published by Haymarket Professional Publications, with permission.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 27 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? “To love Allah and to serve my country”
by Valerie Le Vaillant
“ promise to do my best. To love Allah. To serve my country and to keep the Guide Law”. With an enormous beam splitting her face, tiny Salima’s Promise swelled the number of the Unit’s invested members to 27. All the parents were there, along with school friends, little sisters and the occasional bemused-looking brother who had already been told forcefully by more than one IGuide that ‘Girl Guides were Girls, not for boys!’ Never more than in early 1990s Tower Hamlets could the Guide Programme be more appropriate for the thousands of young Muslim girls growing up and trying to come to terms with a volatile and not always welcoming Britain. While most had been born in the East End, their large families were living within a predominantly Bangladeshi culture, in grim overcrowded accommodation and, for almost all of them, in the direst conditions of poverty. While the girls were undoubtedly loved, if there was anything to spare at all, it inevitably went to the boys. Scouting had already begun for them, through a programme which had taken over two years to set up and in very close cooperation with the Mosque, police and other community leaders.
It was now the girls’ turn. The work was started by Valerie Le Vaillant, District Commissioner for Stepney and a long-time campaigner for local deprived youngsters. She started by talking about Guiding at local Bangladeshi community centres. She knew that the parents – not only mothers and fathers but also extended family elders as well as older brothers – had to be convinced that Guiding would be safe and that Guiding would properly honour their children’s beliefs and traditions. And they also needed to be convinced that the programme would support, not detract from, the traditional roles which they saw for girls and young women.
That the key leaders were Christian was never an issue. All that was expected was that the leaders were trusted. Guiding was recognised as an International Movement. Guiding operated successfully in Bangladesh, albeit not in the poorer rural regions of Sylhet where most of the parents came from. It was an honour for the girls to be invited, and Valerie received the approval she was seeking.
She then visited the children’s schools, showing slides about the Guiding programme and distributing leaflets written both in English and Bengali. The girls reacted enthusiastically, competing to ask questions about activities which they had clearly heard about but had never dreamed about doing themselves. Camping was high on their agenda and any opportunity to get away from the inner city with their friends and within a safe all-girl environment. Following Valerie’s assurance that they could if their parents gave permission, 22 girls turned up for the first meeting.
With the guidance of Bangladeshi Muslim helpers and of a warranted leader who apparently was the first to be appointed in Britain, Valerie built up the Unit and introduced the girls to the complete range of Guiding activities. Over the years, the girls camped in Essex, Kent and Hampshire. They participated in Lord Mayors’ Processions, National Events such as the first- ever Multi Faith National Thinking Day event ‘One World One Love’ in 2004, and went on to successfully complete Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions. And, in due course, other Muslim units were opened in Whitechapel including two Rainbow units, three Brownie units, a Ranger unit and a second Guide unit.
28 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Looking back, Valerie believes that Guiding for Muslim children, was little different from Guiding for any other disadvantaged community in the Inner City. Muslim parents wanted the best for their children. They wanted them to be given opportunities which they would never have had without Guiding and they wanted them protected from the more unsavoury attractions which surrounded their children in the playgrounds and on the streets. Guiding undoubtedly provided those things. That there was little or no money from the families to support their daughters’ activities was plainly a major concern for Valerie from the outset, the problem was ameliorated by long-term financial support from a local charity, Stepney Children’s Fund, which operated from Toynbee Hall.
By the time she left London in 2005, Valerie estimates that over 700 Muslim girls had passed successfully through the Guiding programme, and that hundreds if not thousands more had benefited in some way from the movement’s support and from the networks Guiding was able to provide for them and their families.
Notes:
The key lessons learned in the early days were:
1. Appropriateness. Guiding IS suitable for Muslim children, not least because it is truly international, welcomes all faiths, and is a single-sex provision. But, in exactly the same way as an indigenous Mum would be wary about sending her daughter to a unit in a Mosque, which is full of Muslim children, and run by entirely Asian leaders, an Asian Mum would be wary of sending her daughter to a unit that meets in a church, which is full of Christian children, and run by western ladies! Frequently this was not an issue of religion or integration – just the natural concern of any Mum that their daughters might not feel ‘comfortable’ and happy in a strange environment with leaders who did not speak their language or share their beliefs. Because of this, many units which promote themselves as being ‘open’ are in reality closed.
All the new units we opened targeting Muslim children were founded in schools or community centres (not places of worship), and wherever practicable we sought the support of local Bangladeshi Mums and elder sisters as volunteers. We were also sensitive to the fact that many Guiding traditions are founded in Christianity, such as the closing songs at the end of each meeting. By way of example we changed the first line of Brownie Bells from ‘Oh Lord my God thy children call ...’ to A-llah, A-llah, thy children call...’ We also changed the last line of Taps from … ‘God is nigh,’ to … ’Allah is nigh.’ Even today this still raises eyebrows at District and Division events when the Muslim girls sing ‘Allah’ at closing ceremonies, but there is absolutely no reason why this should be the case!
2. Timing. Most established units meet in the evenings, yet Muslim girls usually attend Mosque and Arabic classes straight after school, and are rarely allowed out after dark. Because of this we opened units on Saturday mornings, and usually met on a fortnightly basis because the girls were frequently relied upon to handle heavy household duties or to translate for non-English speaking parents running errands at the weekends. We found meeting once a fortnight was less intrusive in their demanding family lives.
3. Cultural differences. Tower Hamlets has the largest Bangladeshi population outside of Bangladesh itself. Many parents cannot speak English, and the average family size is eight. Recent statistics illustrate the stark reality of Guiding in Tower Hamlets:
Just over six out of every ten children receive free school meals. 19,757 people in Tower Hamlets are without work; this is a rate of 11.8 per cent compared to 3.6 per cent for the nation as a whole. 61.6 per cent of children in Tower Hamlets’ schools speak a language other than English. In all 78 different languages are spoken. Nearly one quarter of the entire British Bangladeshi population live in Tower Hamlets.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 29 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
The community is arguably the most deprived in the UK with some of the highest unemployment figures, sickness levels, and some of the lowest levels in terms of income and accommodation standards.
This meant we had to fund the units and their activities entirely from grants – we never charged the girls subscriptions because family poverty would have effectively prohibited membership.
In the early days the Promise was unacceptable to the girls – for example, many of the girls have dual nationality, and they are all Muslim. Because of this many girls and women felt uncomfortable in promising service to ‘The Queen’ (who is head of the Church of England), and to the Country when their first loyalty remained with Bangladesh. This attitude has softened over the last 20 years, and has been greatly helped by the modest change in Promise wording from ‘God’ to ‘My God’. When we first started Muslim Guiding in Tower Hamlets we used the Scout ‘Outlander Promise’ to overcome these difficulties
The early uniform was also unacceptable – a navy knee length skirt and uncovered heads. We tackled this by inviting the girls to make their own navy blue salwaar (baggy trousers), and wear royal blue camp dresses over the top in the manner of a kameez. The girls looked like Guides, acted like Guides and were Guides, but we had to use our wits to find items of uniform clothing that would be acceptable culturally. Again, the more casual modern uniform of trousers and tops is much more appropriate for Muslim children, and even includes a ‘uniform’ head scarf, but this is only a relatively recent addition to the ‘mix and match’ collection!
4. Staffing. Because of the sheer size of Bangladeshi families (it was not uncommon for many of my Guides to have as many as 13 siblings!), it was difficult to train and retain leaders from the Bangladeshi community. Problems occurred on two fronts – firstly language, we had to translate key aspects of the programme into Bangla to assist leaders yet most of the Tower Hamlets Guides come from Sylhet a very poor agricultural region in the north of the country and Sylheti is only a spoken (not written) dialect! We also had to secure five or six Bangladeshi volunteers for each unit to cover for continuous ‘maternity leavers’ – just as soon as one lady became engaged in the work of the unit she would become pregnant, and be forced to move on.
5. Positioning and the programme. Over the years, the Guide programme has become more flexible and contemporary to suit the needs of modern 21st century girls and young women, but this has removed it further from acceptability to many of our ethnic minority communities which hold tightly to more traditional values of a work ethic, a devout religious belief, and strong support for family ideals and the importance of education.
We tackle this by promoting Guiding as a community education initiative, and selling its positive benefits as a vehicle for developing social cohesion and greater understanding between communities, as well as by endorsing its core principles about encouraging each girl to reach her full potential. We always supported the Muslim faith by ensuring halal food and traditional Bangla food was available on camps and activities – it is not acceptable simply to provide say, a vegetarian option! We made time and places available for prayers and washing, and we were sensitive about acting with decorum. For example, all indigenous leaders were encouraged not to wear shorts on camp, or mini skirts and/or low cut tops which might cause offence or be seen as encouraging the girls to act inappropriately.
There is no doubt the real reason Muslim Guiding became successful in the pioneering early days was because of the rapport and bond of trust which was built up between myself and the local Muslim community. I visited every family again and again to secure permission for their daughters to become Guides, and when we went to camp I frequently had to visit families three and four times over to talk to different male relatives and explain Guiding and its ethos. It was always important to sell the idea that the girls would work on camp, doing cooking
30 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women and cleaning and acting responsibly (rather than having too much fun!). Eventually parents would literally sign their daughters over to me, making me promise that I would look after them as if they were my own. I will never forget the mixed feelings of both pride and anxiety which would ensue on these occasions. Sometimes husbands would say the same thing about their wives, as they signed their spouses over to me for a week’s camp – what a weight of responsibility!
If there is one thing I have learned from my experiences, it is that Guiding more than fulfils the promises I made to the early Muslim parents in terms of community education, encouragement of social integration and support for personal development. More than that, it offers Muslim girls an opportunity to enjoy fun and friendship in a structured and caring environment. I certainly found these girls LOVED Guiding, and derived real pleasure from the modest freedoms and opportunities it offered. These girls were excellent Guides – I have never seen the patrol system work so well where girls from large family units, who were used to caring and sharing, worked naturally in small groups without a murmur of dissent, and loved every minute of their time together. I feel privileged to have been called ‘sister’.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 31 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? Guiding in Bangladesh
by Charlotte Battersby
have nothing but amazing, life changing, fond memories of my experiences and times in Bangladesh. I have been lucky enough as part of Guiding through the GOLD (Guiding Overseas Linked with Development) project to visit Bangladesh twice. The Bangladesh Girl Guides Association (BGGA) is a truly fantastic organisation. They themselves are inspiring and I know that the rest of the GOLD teams have felt theI same way too. In Bangladesh guiding is so highly thought of that it is part of the school curriculum. This does however have its disadvantages, as those who I have seen children do not attend school do not attend yellow birds (the equivalent of our brownies), guides or rangers. This however is changing. The BGGA showing me their sewing want to reach as many girls and young women in Bangladesh as they can. The BGGA have slum area projects working in Dhaka, the capital skills, reading and writing of Bangladesh, working to give young women the life skills that they need. Guiding truly does change lives. The BBGA works with girls of skills and a woman who all ages providing them with skills they will not only remember but use for the rest of their lives. The members participate in BGGA projects now successfully runs her such as vaccination programmes, tree plantation, HIV/AIDS education, literacy programs, and teaching women business skills. I have seen own business from skills children showing me their sewing skills, reading and writing skills and a woman who now successfully runs her own business from skills she learnt from a girl guide she learnt from a girl guide training programme. The trainings are usually run by either the rangers (aged about 16) or by adults within the training programme. movement. Guiding gives the young women of Bangladesh confidence and self belief. They grow to become independent, strong women within the Bangladeshi society. Whilst I was in Bangladesh I met many people who inspired me
32 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women from the smallest yellow bird daring to ask me a question in English to the young mother in a slum area of Dhaka who had learnt embroidery from the guides and was now making clothes to sell as a small business. The women who work for the BGGA, the volunteers for the BGGA and the children and young women who have been yellow birds, guides, rangers or who have attended one of their many training programmes or projects show confidence, independence and ability to make their own choices in life and reach their goals. The BBGA wish to improve the status of women in Bangladesh and do this by training them and giving them their own life skills so that they can have happy, successful lives in society.
Being asked to this year lead a GOLD group to Bangladesh was an honour and a real privilege. This second time I knew that I was returning to friends. This year we were training girls within the movement who were thinking about joining guiding or are new members. We were looked after so well by the BGGA who helped us facilitate our trainings. We were training on elements of international guiding, the Their planning and promise and laws, teamwork and self esteem trainings. The BBGA had asked us to specifically train in English medium schools an area facilitation were so where there are only a few units. We even trained at the University on interview skills. Their planning and facilitation were so good that good that we were we were able to train in three different regions in Bangladesh, training over 700 members and future members. Some were so remote that able to train in three we traveled by lonch (small ferry) on the Bay of Bengal for two hours and then by auto rickshaw for a further 30 minutes to reach a guide different regions in unit on the island of Bhola all the time looked after by the BGGA. In one college the headmaster spoke of the ranger unit as the best project Bangladesh, training in the school and he was so very proud of all their achievements. The BGGA headquarters are to me like a second home. I feel so over 700 members and welcome there, the Chief Commissioner for the BGGA said as we were leaving it was like six daughters were leaving. The GOLD teams were future members. welcomed with such warmth and friendship it gave a true meaning to our sisters within guiding.
Guiding in Bangladesh is inclusive of all whatever background the girl or young women is from. Everyone’s culture, religion and individuality is celebrated and respected. At the end of each of our trainings there would be a presentation ceremony usually by the headteacher of the achievements of the girls on the training. One headmistress in a school new to guiding said that it was so important for her pupils to be involved in guiding and learn through fun. Guiding in Bangladesh goes from strength to strength. A fantastic, inspiring, organisation. I feel so very lucky to have experienced it myself and seen their fantastic work first hand.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 33 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? SAFE Project by Manaf Alderwish
he SAFE project is based at the Sparkhill Adult Education centre in Birmingham. It is a unique project that began in early 2004. The project has been developed to help encourage media skills and its primary focus is the delivery of a citywide magazine. SAFE offers young people the opportunity to take a lively and critical view of issues and matters of concern to them. The agenda is open and this Tsubsequently allows for a creative response to those issues.
The magazine aims to address several core issues in the lives of young people and articles have been submitted on a wide and diverse range of hard hitting and pertinent issues.
There have been several excursions to places of interest, most notably a visit to the European Parliament in Belgium where the group was able to meet with and interview their regional MEP and more recently a cultural visit to Budapest exploring the role that faith plays in young people’s lives.
SAFE has won the prestigious Philip Lawrence award for its outstanding participation of young people and has been widely used as an example of good practice.
Users
The make up of the group is ethnically diverse and the majority of participants are Muslim, with more girls than boys that are actively engaged.
Why does it work? (particularly for Muslim girls)
This is due to several factors that include home visits to the parents and carers of the young people that participate in the SAFE project. This process allows the youth workers an opportunity to foster a rapport with the wider family and subsequently instils a sense of confidence and trust in the purpose of their participation.
Another significant influence is the location of the project within an adult education setting. This creates an expectation in the minds of the young people as well as their parents/carers who may have a particular positive perception of the building in terms of what takes place within it.
34 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Case study – Asmat, aged 18 My ‘SAFE’ experience
It was about three years ago when I was told by my big brother that I needed a life and he suggested I join a youth project. I didn’t know what I was in for at all, all I knew was that I was a 14 yr old girl at school with a lack of ambition and slight behavioural problems so I couldn’t really be picky as to what project I chose to join.
I enjoyed writing and talking a lot and knew I wanted to go into a career that picked upon those hobbies. Therefore I chose to go into media, but there was no way of gaining experience at the age of 14 in my opinion and then I was introduced to the SAFE project. I didn’t know a lot about what the project was about but was very interested in it.
The first instance I was introduced to the project was through an excursion that had been organised by Manaf Alderwish to take a group of young people to visit the European parliament in Brussels. In preparation for this trip many meetings were held to introduce the young people to one another. When I attended the first meeting I noticed that a lot of the group already knew one another but did not feel out of place as Manaf and other youth workers were very supportive and helpful in helping us feel comfortable and in getting us aware of each other seeing as we were going to be around each other quite a lot during the trip. Thankfully I got along with all the other members of the group and enjoyed the experience immensely. The trip was very well organised with lots of activities to keep us on our toes and not just treat it like a holiday and in my opinion I couldn’t have asked for a better way to enter into the SAFE project.
After Brussels there were many other trips and activities organised through the SAFE project such as the trip to the theatre to go and see ‘Footloose’. The trip was very pleasant and helped introduce me to other members of the project. The project organises many trips for both its male and female members together and separately and is very aware of boundaries when it comes to youths from particular religions and cultures.
On the whole the SAFE project not only helped me by giving me something to do in my area as a teenager that was productive but it has also helped me in making my career choices for the future and has also taught me to be more confident and that if I take small risks I can get huge rewards like I did by joining SAFE, when I got to travel down to London and meet and receive an award off Sir Trevor McDonald as part of my work with the SAFE project.
About our members
The project is open to all young people aged 11 to 19, and as we develop more and more young people are becoming excited about the opportunity of having their work published. SAFE recognises that all young people have different strengths and abilities and it is this insight that allows anyone to participate at any level, whether that’s writing, desk top publishing, design work, simple illustrations or helping to prepare for interview there are real opportunities to participate and make a valuable contribution.
“SAFE is good because not only has it helped us all to make new friends and helped us to have new experiences but has also really helped us to write about stuff that is important to us and that is exactly what this project is about, expressing ourselves and telling others about our
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 35 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? feelings and thoughts about almost anything”. Chandini Tahir aged 14.
Conclusion
As a youth worker and a Muslim I feel that I am ideally placed to understand some of the difficulties that may face Muslim young girls in terms of active participation. I also feel that there are ways in which such barriers can be shifted to enable young Muslim girls the opportunity for active involvement.
Firstly this is about understanding the community, their needs, fears and the way in which they operate. Secondly and perhaps more importantly is the recognition that sometimes the will to allow some young girls that opportunity to take part is located in the holistic approach that underpins the project, this is about our ethos, our sense of purpose that ultimately creates a framework of trust. It is only with this trust and accountability that we can sometimes unlock the door that may be used to close off the opportunity for many young Muslim girls.
36 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women By Muslim women for Muslim women, children and families
n-Nisa Society was established in May 1985 by a group of young British Muslim women, in response to the needs of Muslim women and their families. They identified that the faith based needs of the community were not being met either by the mainstream providers or by the community itself. This was placing tremendous pressure on Muslim families, in particular the women who tend to Abe the mainstay of families.
“I have been there and lived what they are living. I have been a young woman rebelling in a strict Muslim family so I feel in a good position and amongst other women in a good position to support young women in a way that other women can’t because they have not the same life experiences to draw on. We just understand what’s going on in the context of the whole family and community setting better by being An-Nisa is special because part of it. We can be familiar with them like sisters and aunties for them to talk things over with.” it has moved beyond local
A strong feature of the voluntary sector in particular and amongst activities to national some proactive local authority staff is the ‘self help’ movement. There are many communities that have staked a claim not to be represented activism by others but to represent themselves, not to be provided with services by others but to develop services, not to be in a patronising helping relationship that is a one way power relationship of helper and helped but to forge supportive mutual helping relationships amongst peers who ‘understand’. Muslim women are no exception to this and there are many local organisations for and by Muslim women. An-Nisa is special because it has moved beyond local activities to national activism. At the National Conference on Muslim Youth Work in Birmingham 2005, members of An-Nisa in the workshop on Muslim Girls and Young Women’s Work made a strong case for work by Muslim women with Muslim Women as opposed to work by others. This case was built on the premise that intimate knowledge of communities and of cultures of family practices and shared life experiences place ‘insiders’ in a better position than anyone else to offer support and to inspire young women to develop confidence in their identity and role as Muslim women in British Society.
Whilst An-Nisa may not be diverse in that it is a Muslim women’s organisation, in many other senses it is very diverse. There is a spectrum of understandings of Islam. Members are from many different ethnic, cultural and language communities. The organisation was started by young women who have now been with the organisation for twenty plus years, young women continue to join so there is now quite an age spectrum too. An-Nisa meetings can hardly be described as ‘a separatist cage’. Members of An-Nisa have been active in interfaith events and dialogue since the organisation started, particularly Muslim-Jewish dialogue and An-Nisa has offered members the chance to take part in an annual Jewish-Christian-Muslim study conference in Germany every year, providing many women their first opportunity for such an international inter-religious experience. It sponsored a Jewish-Christian-Muslim Music night in London in December 2006 in association with the Berakah Project.
Sheikhah Halima Krausen, a woman Imam from Hamburg, has been leading study weekends for An-Nisa to offer women an opportunity to study Islam and to apply Islamic teachings to modern ethical and life choice decisions. The group is now in the 14th year of the Islamic Studies Correspondence Course.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 37 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Whilst An-Nisa emphasises the needs and concerns of women it has also organised events and activities that are open to men’s collaboration in improving the lives of Muslims in Britain. For example, the Society has joined forces with Fathers Direct to run national conferences on Fatherhood and Muslim Fathers’ role and challenges today.
One of the benefits of being a women-run organisation rather than a specifically youth work organisation is shared involvement by several members of the same family: sisters, mothers and daughters, aunties and grandmothers can participate together and mothers can gain enough trust in the group to feel comfortable with their daughters taking up chances for new experiences including travel and, if necessary, seeking support and advice beyond the immediate family. Some families need support and help with issues affecting their whole family and An-Nisa is often well placed to offer this sensitively and discreetly. It has increasingly involved whole families in its programme. A clear example of this is the supplementary school that is still going strong having begun in 1986.
An-Nisa Society By Humera Khan
An-Nisa Society was established in May 1985 as a Muslim women-managed organisation working for the welfare of Muslim families. This means that from the beginning An- Nisa believed in engaging the whole family. While initial work focused on women and young people, much more emphasis has been given to working on projects concerning Muslim men in recent years. Except for specific ‘women’s only’ events most of the organisation’s activities involve both men and women.
It was clear from the beginning that the Muslim community, as a faith-based community, was being bypassed by race-based initiatives. An-Nisa Society was one of the first organisations that identified that the faith-based needs of the community were not being met either by mainstream providers or by the community itself. This was placing tremendous pressure on Muslim families, in particular on the women who tend to be the mainstay of families. The consequences were that families were increasingly vulnerable to social dysfunction and ills.
Over the years An-Nisa Society has pioneered an array of groundbreaking faith-based projects particularly at a time when faith, as an indicator of need, was not recognised. Through awareness raising, informing and influencing policy development and the provision of services to Muslim families, the organisation works to promote a positive British Muslim identity as well as a harmonious and cohesive society.
From small beginnings An-Nisa Society developed organically but has remained firmly located in the grassroots. Over the years it has led the way in promoting and developing a greater understanding of the multi-ethnic British Muslim community and its needs.
Some examples of the work undertaken by An-Nisa Society include the following: First accredited Islamic Counselling course.
38 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
Healing the Self: Towards a Faith-Centred Approach to Mental Health. Domestic Violence conference. Amana: child sexual abuse in the Muslim community. Forced Marriage conference. 2006 – Searching for Dad: Exploring Muslim Fatherhood. Produced fatherhood resources: Practitioners Guide for working with Muslim fathers, Connecting to God and your Child – a father’s guide to Prayer and Praise, Report from regional workshops with Muslim fathers. 1986 – a child-centred Supplementary Muslim School (Madrassa). Healthy Living the Islamic Way series of seminars. Barakah – Muslim Women’s Support Groups. Mature Women’s Project. Produced: Cycle of Life: set of three books on sexual health from an Islamic perspective. Sexual health residential for girls and young women. An-Nisa Society Girls and Young Women’s Theatre Group. Muslim Arts Festival – Ealing Road Library (one week event). Partnership with Tricycle Theatre which resulted in the following: Muslim Arts Festival (two day event), drama workshops (mixed), drama and dance workshops for girls and young women
Here is a little more detail of events, focusing on specific activities that young women and girls have been involved in within An-nisa.
‘The Cycle of Life’ was a four-day residential for young Muslim women organised by An-Nisa Society. The aim of the residential was to introduce young Muslim women to the ideal of health and wellbeing from an Islamic perspective.
The programme emphasised the spiritual part of us being connected to the physical and emotional parts of us. There were workshops about looking after oneself: body, mind and spirit including practical recommendations about nutrition, sleep, drugs and substance abuse, puberty and meaningful relationships. As well as advice, discussion and information the programme included free-time, mealtimes to spend time informally together, prayers, and activities like archery, abseiling, a night walk, canoeing, and initiative games.
An-Nisa Society Theatre Group
The group evolved over the years from small performances to more adventurous ones. It is primarily aimed at girls and young women who have been pupils at the Supplementary Muslim School or are users of An-Nisa Society. They developed a successful partnership with Tricycle theatre Kilburn, where they had junior and senior drama workshops. The Tricycle Theatre and An-Nisa put on a Muslim Arts Festival in 2003 including screening of the film ‘the Message’, arts and crafts workshops, boys only activities of rap, petry and drumming and girls only drama and dance workshops. The festival was held at the Tricycle Theatre.
Eid Extravaganza
In 1998 and 2000, An-Nisa Society put on a Muslim women’s eid celebration for women of all ages including girls aged 3 to 12. The 2000 publicity sported the strap line ‘Girls jus wanna have fun!’. The programme was an evening of drama, comedy and music. The 1998 event featured ‘Dilemmas, Lies and Girls in Black’ performed by the An-Nisa Society Theatre Group. The proceeds from ticket sales were in aid of An-Nisa Society’s Supplementary Muslim School.
Variety Show
An-Nisa Theatre and Arts Company presented a women’s only variety show at a college
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 39 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? venue in North London, an evening out for women of all ages. The programme included Quran recitation, Nasheed performance, poetry reading, violin and clarinet recitals, singing and a theatre production called the tale of the Anklet (from the Arabian Nights) by a caste of girls aged 8 to 16, and several dance performances.
Youth Leadership Initiative
This was a one year advanced Islamic Studies Course for young people aged 16+ on Sundays from 11 to 1 at the An Nisa offices in Wembley, London.
British Muslim or Wot?
This was an exciting and fun programme of activities including discussion workshops, creative arts, media and IT, sports and trips ‘exploring the angst and highs of being a young British Muslim’ for boys and girls aged 12 to 15 during the school holidays in the daytime. There was a mixture of exploration of a serious topic, socialising and leisure activities including a trip to an adventure park.
40 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women Sharing Good practice in youth work with Muslim girls: The way ahead
his book has raised a number of issues and gaps that deserve our concerted attention. It has illustrated a wide range of good practice that offers inspiration and practical suggestions for the way forward. In this conclusion these issues, gaps and practical suggestions are summarised. It is clear from the contributions from local and national initiatives that many young women are benefiting from Tincreased access to opportunities, services and facilities. However, there are many young women who are still not catered for or who are simply unaware of what is on offer. Of course not every young woman may wish to participate in youth work but many of the participants in the three events in 2005–2006 bringing together youth work practitioners, policy-makers and young people to discuss Muslim Youth Work highlighted the need to improve marketing of existing opportunities, to increase access and provision more widely and strategically; and to invest in work with young women and girls as a powerful tool for achieving policy objectives such as the five Every Child Matters outcomes.
Why women-only work?
Some very clear, tried and tested reasons for doing women-only work have been articulated in the course of putting this book together. Fewer young women than young men take part in mixed gender youth work and women-only provision is often planned through recognition of this. Some young women and/or their families believe that it is not Islamic for young women and young men who are not immediate relatives to mix freely with each other and these young women would therefore not take part Young women often find if youth work was not women-only. Association with other young women is valued by many young women as an opportunity to talk and courage to speak up and to to share experiences, relax and enjoy one another’s company and to form friendships for companionship and support in daily life. Young express themselves when women’s needs differ from those of young men. Confidence building is a feature of women-only settings for many participants due to the there are only women trusting relationships that can be established making the setting feel like a safe space to try new challenges. Young women can try out activities present. and skills that they may be unwilling to do with young men around such as group work, sports and performing arts. Many young women find a women-only environment feels supportive. Young women often find courage to speak up and to express themselves when there are only women present. Rather than some young women competing for the attention of young men, these young women can communicate with each other better in women-only settings. Leadership development is also effective in women-only settings because the dimension of competing with young men for leadership roles is taken out of the equation and because of the availability of female leadership role models and mentors. Many young women have different interests and learning styles to young men. Challenging stereotypes, trying new activities and learning new skills can open up and expand young women’s career aspirations and expectations. Cooperation and discussion often work well in women-only settings. Privacy is valued by young women to discuss sensitive issues and to consider the choices they are confronted with in their public and private lives. Young women learn to understand and challenge the prejudice and discrimination they encounter. Many youth workers feel that women only settings offer girls and young women the best opportunities for personal and social development.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 41 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Why gender-sensitive ‘mixed’ work?
Whilst some young women will only take part in women-only activities others are ready to take part in mixed activities if they are suitably organised. Mixed gender groups are considered inappropriate by some cultural and religious groups of people, others are comfortable if they know that they can trust that certain standards of behaviour will be adhered to. Where such trust is established young women and young men can collaborate and can contribute to wider society jointly; learning to cooperate and to not limit each other with prejudices; and learning to collaborate well and to understand each other. This provides good preparation for integrated education and employment settings and further access to a wide range of opportunities. Another benefit is that siblings can take part together and activities can be integrated with family and community life in a different way than can be achieved with gender segregation.
Why Muslim women only work?
Several organisations consulted for this book have made a case for work by and with Muslim women only as an aspect of what gets supported and funded. The main argument in favour of groups specifically for young Muslim women is mutual support based on commonality of interests and experiences particular to living in Britain as a Muslim woman. Self help has a strong history in the British voluntary sector as do clubs and societies based on a ‘common bond’, whether this is having the same social and political objectives, sharing a common hobby, working in the same industry, living in the same neighbourhood, being in similar circumstances or being faced with similar issues. Association is a typical feature of British voluntary sector organisational life. It is quite natural then that many young Muslim women may want to find each other and offer each other companionship based on shared interests and concerns on a University or college campus, within a particular Freedom to take part is not neighbourhood or within a particular organisation that has other specialist groups. Freedom to take part is not enjoyed equally by enjoyed equally by people people and Muslim young women have a number of obstacles in their way that can be alleviated by designing specific provision with and Muslim young women their needs in mind. have a number of obstacles Why the silence on hard issues like dropping in their way that can be out of education and employment, poverty, racism, Islamophobia, sex, drugs, and violence? alleviated by designing Janet Batsleer and her colleagues at the Women’s Studies Research specific provision Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University introduced an important discussion in situating their study of domestic violence and minoritisation. They debated the racialisation of women’s experiences of violence both in the private and public domain and stated succinctly a central issue for everyone involved in working with women from minority communities in Britain.
“Part of the impact of racialisation can be to obscure things which women in fact experience in common (as a homogenised absence); it can also be to promote certain false but powerful stereotypes of particular groups of women (pathologised presence) which render their specific experiences and locations silent and invisible.” (Batsleer page 37)
Whilst gender is a demarcation of cultural practice in its particular form of patriarchy, intra cultural change and contestation are particularly intense in this area. The young people’s narratives in a five-year study I conducted in my neighbourhood in Birmingham debate gender quite actively, there are few fixed and consistent views expressed. On the one hand the young women like the idea of being prized enough to be defended even fought over. On the other hand they want to have greater freedom to participate in British institutional life, by studying, working, earning, driving and being part of decision making. They are angry about
42 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women white stereotypes about Muslim women and the role of women in Muslim society, but they also challenge oppression of women and want to see change, particularly to see a reduction of violence towards women. Domestic violence of course is not restricted to any cultural group. Unfortunately it is a global problem. However, there are particular barriers for Muslim women to overcome when they want an intervention to be made to stop violence against them.
“A family’s Izzat (honour) rests on the chastity and ‘purity’ of the females of the household. This leads to glaring discrepancies and hypocrisy in the upbringing of male and female offspring. What is sauce for the goose is definitely not sauce for the gander. Common areas where daughters may feel exasperated by parental dictums include: staying out late, choosing a university far away from home, or even going to University at all. They can range from not being allowed to take swimming lessons, or having friends of the opposite sex to not being allowed to cut their hair. The above would rarely apply to their brothers, or if they did, the reaction would be much muted” (Ali 2005).
The contributions made by all of the youth workers and young women that I have invited to share their ideas and experiences in this volume leave a silence that I cannot leave unmentioned. This silence is a kind of veil of confidentiality around issues faced by young Muslim women individually that require sensitive, well-informed and carefully thought out interventions in terms of advice, support and resources. Whilst I agree that the Muslim community is demonised too much every day in contemporary Britain; there is a need for serious concerns for young women’s safety and wellbeing to be addressed forthrightly no matter which community may feel its reputation may be tarnished. A Muslim woman community activist wrote an e-mail to me about the tension between reinforcing Islamic principles and supporting Muslim young women when they are in real trouble:
“Only three weeks ago I dealt with a young Muslim girl who contacted a Muslim Women’s organisation for help/guidance. She was in bits because she managed to get herself pregnant and didn’t know what to do. I shan’t get in to the details but their reply/response was awful and as a result the young woman was contemplating suicide. Sighs … Muslim projects that claim to support Youth workers may be Muslims/families need to think about wider implications and priorities such as risk management, threats to life, duty of care etc … giving turned to for support in messages of Islam should be left to ‘qualified’ scholars – May Allah (SWT) bring us better days Ameen”. these circumstances and
I am sure that every youth worker who works with young women and need to have well considered Muslim young women in particular, comes into contact with crises in some of those young women’s lives that cannot be ignored. These responses free from include daily direct and indirect sexism experienced at school or college, at work or at home. Retention of young Muslims on further stereotypical assumptions education courses is a struggle and dropping out of education or employment either by being excluded or sacked or by just feeling unsupported and unable to fulfil expectations is too common. Domestic violence at the hands of relatives, rape, incest, sexual harassment and forced marriage are a threat to community and family honour but first and foremost they are crimes by Islamic as well as secular standards and need to be stopped regardless of the identity of the perpetrators. Youth workers may be turned to for support in these circumstances and need to have well considered responses free from stereotypical assumptions, which neither condone abuse nor unnecessarily blow family relations apart. Family conflicts over honour and resulting restrictions of activities and freedom of choice; and conflicts over household chores and unequal pressures on girls and boys to undertake domestic duties are exactly that – family conflicts. However, they may well have a bearing on whether a young woman will be granted consent to take part in youth work initiatives. Conflicts over dress code could also spill over into the youth work arena as young women test the boundaries of their relationships with other people and try to formulate their own codes against the backdrop of other people’s attitudes. Emotional problems regarding relationships with men whether treated as elicit or not, may arise and young women sometimes need a
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 43 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
listening ear as they attempt to resolve issues in their personal lives. Health issues including eating disorders, depression, and self harm need to be sensitively tackled within relationships of trust and care. Anxieties around having or not having children are another potential pressure on young women that may lead them to seek help and support. Self criticism and low self esteem are common problems amongst young women. Running away is not very frequent but young women do sometimes resort to leaving home without the consent of their families for a variety of reasons. The youth worker’s role in such situations is controversial and complex. It is a difficult mixture of duty of care towards the young woman and working out with her what the best course of action is for her future wellbeing. Often the best course includes supported return and negotiation with family members as opposed to assisted flight. Occasionally in extreme circumstances referral to safe houses or support services may be the only way to protect a young woman but it takes a very experienced and clear thinking worker with plenty of understanding of young women and their relationships to judge when this point has been reached. Very few youth workers have the level of knowledge and skill needed to respond appropriately without pathologising. Sibling conflicts and power struggles between brothers and sisters are an issue that preoccupies many young women and youth work can provide safe spaces to reflect and to explore ways of coping and of changing.
Muslim Youth Helpline figures for the period 2003–2004 showed that around 31 per cent of all callers call about domestic issues often involving parents. Client figures for July 2004–August 2005 from 4,618 enquiries listed Mental Health (30 per cent of enquiries) and Relationships (28 per cent of enquiries) as the issues of concern with the most callers and in each case considerably more young women than young men seeking support with these. Only 4 per cent rang about abuse, of these 79 per cent were young What if nothing is being women; and 6 per cent about sexuality and sexual health of whom 75 per cent were young men (Youth and Policy 2006). Other issues done by youth workers of concern were religion, education and employment, social life and identity, substance abuse and addictions, discrimination and (Muslim or otherwise) to bullying. support young women in Why the silence on these intra-community problems? The most likely explanation is protection of the community from negative dealing with really difficult propaganda, and of relationships that each worker has established with the community. Discussing community issues openly and issues nationally could be regarded as ‘washing dirty laundry in public’ and therefore as disloyalty; particularly when the Muslim community is so systematically attacked by the media. There is another disturbing possible reason for the silence and that is negligence. What if nothing is being done by youth workers (Muslim or otherwise) to support young women in dealing with really difficult issues and in getting free from abuse of personal or institutional power against them? It is for each of us to search our own conscience as to whether we have avoided or even colluded rather than face the consequences of tackling unpopular and difficult issues under public scrutiny. The question is how to respond given the complex nature of young women’s relationships. How should youth services respond? Should it be down to case work being done by individual workers? Should there be specialist support services or cultural sensitivity training for a wide range of health, education and social welfare front-line staff? Should youth services in places with concentrations of young Muslims have service wide policies and procedures about working with individuals facing particular issues that have a specific Muslim context? How should youth workers relate with extended families, religious leaders, teachers, doctors and social workers? Is this a purely general question or does it have a particular form when young women are Muslims? Should there be Muslim women to work with Muslim women or are young women from tight knit communities more comfortable seeking the support and help of strangers? These questions won’t be new to youth workers working with Muslim women and girls; they are struggled with everyday in many local settings. Although some problems have not been explicitly named, tips for dealing with intra- community and intra-family issues as youth workers have been offered by several of the authors of contributions to this book.
There is another list of problems that young Muslim Women face that is not detailed in the
44 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women young women and youth worker’s accounts. Muslims have the highest unemployment rate of any other religious group in Britain and Muslims aged 16 to 24 years have the highest unemployment rates of all. Both male and female Muslims have the highest rates of reported ill-health and disability in Britain and almost a quarter of Muslim females have a disability or long-term illness that restricts their daily activities. Muslims are among those who experience the highest levels of academic underachievement and lack of qualifications in Britain compounded by disproportionately experiencing factors known to adversely impact on pupils’ academic attainment, including low income households, socio-economic deprivation, unemployment, low parental educational levels as well as poor expectations. Muslim women in particular consistently experience multiple disadvantages. A combination of factors often results in financial dependency and social isolation for Muslim Women. Muslim children not only experience multiple disadvantages, but can be said to be among the poorest in Britain with almost 70 per cent of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis in Britain living in poverty. The growth of Islamophobia in Britain is well documented, with a growing body of evidence continually uncovering new incidents. Media attention compounds
British Muslim Profile (Julios May 2005).Young women face daily this sense of unease and of struggles in the public sphere. A number of factors combine to result in lack of access to youth services, arts, sports and leisure facilities for being labelled as a potential young women. Direct and indirect discrimination against Muslims in the public sphere is a daily experience for Muslim young women. enemy within British Young women often say that they experience bullying or harassment at work or at college. Harassment in public places for being visibly society. Muslim has increased in recent years. They face limitations on employment and education due to attitudes and policies towards Muslim practices such as wearing Hijaab and following particular customs regarding relations between women and unrelated men. Poor design of strategies for community access and inclusion leads to greater marginalisation of young Muslim women rather than greater participation and opportunity, for example stereotypical activities for women provided locally rather than a broad and challenging curriculum for all. Transport inadequacies disproportionately affect young people without use of a car and young women may feel less safe walking than using public transport or transport provided by organisations. Detention and deportation of themselves or members of their immediate family is a greater likelihood for Muslim young women than for young people in other communities as is stop and search. Raids of their homes, arrests of immediate relatives, neighbours or friends; and local surveillance are rare but do happen and the fact that they happen is a threat to feelings of security and acceptance. Media attention compounds this sense of unease and of being labelled as a potential enemy within British society. Lack of child care or of child-friendly and family-friendly policies places very practical restrictions on young mother’s opportunities to participate. Simplistic stereotyping of young women’s complex lives leads to bad advice and flawed guidance. Lack of facilities and even direct rejection of religious practice in public places for example praying or fasting at work or school makes young women feel like retreating home. Disregard for religious dietary requirements even in multi-cultural public contexts makes young women question whether they are really welcome. Poverty, debt and lack of access to credit mean that financial difficulties prevent young women taking part in activities and make them stressed and unable to relax and enjoy themselves because of anxiety and the practical steps they need to take to manage their transactions. Overcrowded and poor housing conditions are a similar stress factor.
Why the silence on public and professional problems? The most likely explanation is protection of the profession from negative propaganda and protection of relationships that each worker has established with their professional field. Just as with discussing intra- community issues in public, discussing contentious professional issues openly and nationally could be regarded as ‘washing dirty laundry in public’ and therefore disloyalty; particularly when public services are so systematically attacked by the media. Maybe the list is too daunting and depressing to mention in detail, maybe naming some of the problems of access and discrimination and islamophobia would shame employers and organisations in a way that would aggravate some powerful people and institutions.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 45 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Some of the issues listed here may mean that young women need access to professional help from people other than youth workers such as good quality medical and legal assistance. Youth workers need to be well networked with appropriate support services in case young women need referral or joint intervention to resolve a particular problem.
Lessons from bad practice
Pathologising of Muslim parents, families and communities is unhelpful to Muslim young women and gets in the way of genuine support taking into account the whole person and her needs. Rescue mission mentality in working with Muslim young women and girls is damaging to sustainable community development and to young women’s self reliance and capacity. It falls into the trap of stereotypical images of young women as passive, caged victims. Workers working out their own complexes and problems through the lives of other people prevent them from hearing young women’s own perspectives. Middle class interference in working class women’s lives for professional career advancement and a sense of job satisfaction on the part of the middle class women is exploitative. Avoidance of tackling ‘hard issues’ such as forced marriage out of some misguided sense of respect for minority cultures is inexcusable because young women’s safety and wellbeing are being jeopardised for the sake of keeping up appearances. In Islam culture is no defence for abuse. Protection of people who exclude and oppress young women based on protection Assuming what Muslim of a profession’s honour or a local leadership figure’s reputation at the expense of the young woman’s safety, dignity and life chances is young women can do, equally inexcusable. want to do, and could get Assuming what Muslim young women can do, want to do, and could get permission to do rather than asking them and discussing permission to do rather opportunities with those they need consent from places unnecessary restrictions on their choices. We need less limited stereotypically than asking them and cultural and stereotypically female activities like Eid parties with henna hand painting and samosas, or fashion shows of Islamic discussing opportunities clothing. These are not an extension of opportunities that women already have. with those they need consent Marginalisation of work with young women and girls is too from places unnecessary commonplace. How many local authority youth services consciously devote half of their resources to young women and girls? Exclusion restrictions on their choices. of young women from mosques as places to pray and to meet with each other for association, study circles, discussions and events unnecessarily disadvantages them and impoverishes Muslim communities by excluding their participation and contribution.
Modelling work with young Muslims on Christian youth work uncritically without recognising differences demonstrates lack of understanding of the particularity of British Muslim experiences. Believing that the answer to young women’s needs lies with Imams and that training Imams to be in touch with youth affairs will change life for young Muslim women and girls is a very indirect route! Imams are scholars and teachers of religious affairs.
Lessons from good practice ... what works in real life?
The projects featured in this book highlight some of the steps that can help Muslim young women to take part in youth work. The most fundamental of these seems to be to ask young people what they need and would like to take part in and to listen to them. Focus on young women enables specific thought to go into planning services to make them accessible and welcoming to a diversity of young people. Offering a congenial setting and atmosphere for young Muslim women to associate with each other, meet, talk, and support one another is appreciated by them. Facilitating discussions on subjects of significance to the young women
46 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women themselves such as practising Islam in the British context, relationships and identity is well received; giving young women a chance to talk about topics that might be difficult to discuss with others. Building young women’s confidence by offering opportunities to achieve, to try new roles and activities is emphasised in the aims of all of the organisations featured as is developing young women’s leadership capacities; encouraging and reinforcing self-worth and providing choices and supporting decision making by young women. Giving access to a wide range of challenging and exciting activities such as quad biking, climbing, performing and visual arts, radio production, website and magazine editing breaks the conventional mould that many young women feel constrained by.
Marketing and outreach to communities is important so that as many young women and their families as possible know what is on offer to young women and girls. In order to make local provision accessible transport is a great help and establishing and maintaining trusting relationships with family members is essential, particularly mothers. Programming women- only sessions at popular times of day and on popular days of the week facilitates participation, as does routine provision of facilities and diet Work with Muslim young for religious observance to be a readily available option. women can promote Work with Muslim young women can promote and develop a greater understanding of the multi-ethnic British Muslim community and and develop a greater its needs. It is a great opportunity for inter-community friendships and collaboration: all Muslim and all different! (Arab, Bangladeshi, understanding of the multi- English, Indian, Bosnian, Kosovan, Somalian, African-Caribbean, Pakistani, North African ...). Multilingualism is a feature of Muslim ethnic British Muslim young women’s projects presenting challenges but also a rich resource. Several of the organisations featured in this book are providing women community and its needs. with their first opportunity for a local or an international inter- religious experience; and are supporting and arranging national and international travel and exchanges by Muslim young women. Meeting each individual rather than generalising about social, religious and cultural practices enables each young woman to have choices and to shape her own understandings and identity. As part of this, room for different understandings of Islam and for exploration of young women’s own responses to religious beliefs and community expectations.
Funding groups of young British Muslim women responding to the needs of Muslim women and their families supports self help and capacity building. Young women volunteering and contributing to their own communities and to the wider society need to be encouraged, supported and resourced. Recruitment and investment in Muslim staff within statutory and voluntary youth work organisations is significant in terms of inclusion. It is also necessary to provide staff development and training for non-Muslim staff to increase sensitivity and understanding and to overcome negative and inaccurate stereotypes. Anti-harassment and discrimination policies, procedures and practices by institutions need to acknowledge religious intolerance as a potential problem that needs to be taken seriously and to be tackled directly and swiftly.
Supporting young Muslim women’s school and college life can improve retention and success rates and reduce negative experiences. A chance for young carers and mothers to be themselves and take a break from domestic responsibilities is really positive for her well- being. Careers information and guidance for young women is as important for young Muslim women as it is for other groups of young people regardless of traditional gender patterns of staying at home as carers and homemakers. These traditional roles are shifting for all kinds of social, economic and political reasons. Appropriate health education and support services for young women are needed, including mental health services. Access to good quality, well run, safe fitness and leisure facilities is being clearly requested, even demanded, by young women in a range of different neighbourhood and community settings as well as on campuses.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 47 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
We need more:
Youth workers and young women at the national workshops that established the Muslim Youth work foundation, identified provision that we need more of. They stressed the need for choice on the part of young Muslim women. They called for collaboration, networking and infrastructure for the promotion of good practice and the continuation of a lively debate. Sharing and consultation amongst youth workers nationally about practices of working with young women and girls is limited and could prove very beneficial for the development of local and national work. Website resources and publications can support this. Coordinated and sensitive responses by young Muslim women to events and conflicts can be facilitated by information technology but also by creating safe spaces for young Muslims to talk face to face with each other and with relevant ‘others’. Funding and recognition for work with young women and girls generally and specifically work with Muslim young women and girls is required in order to meet young women’s needs in relation to existing and developing national initiatives such as Youth Matters and the development of integrated services for children, young people and families. Better access to leisure, sports and arts facilities and opportunities for Muslim women and girls is still needed despite the existence of isolated instances of good practice. Provision of facilities and time for religious observance such as prayer facilities, hygiene facilities and consideration of the planning of timetables and programmes can prevent some people feeling that their needs are not being taken into account; and when they become routinely provided there is less attention to whether people are praying or not, making it an ordinary matter of free choice rather than an issue. Support for young Muslim mothers is vital. Health services, education and support for Muslim women and girls with a suitable curriculum and respect for the place of Islam in the choices young women make need to be extended. Mental health services which are sensitive to the role of faith in young Muslim women’s lives both as a source of solace and as a source of anxiety also need to be significantly extended and made much more readily available to young women throughout Britain. Crisis support and intervention services and help with really thorny difficult personal and communal issues are needed.
Multilingual youth work is a valuable asset in a globalising world with local diversity of heritage and transnationalism. Peer-led work and young people led activities and debates plus opportunities for debate, discussion and informal education through conversation and through relationships of respect and trust are also valuable. Accepting and responding to differences amongst young British Muslims and working with young people in the context of their families and communities is essential. National and international participation and travel opportunities for young women stretch the imaginations and enlarge the possibilities for collaboration and participation in society, reducing the risks of isolation and segregation. Inter-faith work can also broaden horizons and increase understanding between young people and ultimately between their communities through them. Dialogue and partnerships between organisations also help to make youth work open, dynamic, democratic and inclusive.
Training is needed for all youth workers about considerations in working with Muslim young women and girls. Young Muslim women in leadership and influence roles within youth work can help to move the youth service agenda forward by contributing fresh new perspectives and challenging redundant ways of doing things. Inclusion of spirituality in youth work is a vital aspect of responding holistically to young people’s lives. Support of young Muslim women volunteers and for Muslim Youth workers is needed so that they can face the challenges that present themselves. Local mediation teams, training and development of mediation projects would be a positive initiative worth pursuing. Young Muslim women should be treated as an asset to be recognised, respected and resourced rather than as a problem to be solved. They have so much to offer as citizens.
Not a cage, a tardis
Recent anti-terrorism measures have led to concern in neighbourhoods with large Muslim populations about targeting of Muslims, surveillance and ‘intelligence’. Media attention has
48 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women focused on certain events leading to media ‘revelation’ activities in neighbourhoods, including the photographing of Muslim women in the street. Paparazzi photographers are particularly keen to get images of women wearing veils and zoom in on unsuspecting shoppers pointing powerful lenses in their hunt for shots to accompany international headlines.
Muslim young women seek opportunities to be themselves without unwanted attention from a range of ‘others’ including young men, judgemental elders, uninvited spectators, racist passers-by and paparazzi style press photographers hunting for images to accompany headlines. This search for privacy is not a deliberate act of segregation or exclusion really, it is just a need to take a break from everyday pressures and to feel free to relax with other young women who are none of the ‘others’ they need a rest from and who they feel can understand and support them. They look for places and groups in which they can take a break from domestic and carer responsibilities and from expectations and obligations such as school and college work, supplementary school and employment. This does not mean that they are opposed to their households, their families, their teachers or their employers it just means that they enjoy a chance to make friends, to play, to explore other, voluntary aspects of life, to discuss with others and to make choices. Most people want this opportunity; Muslim women have particular difficulty finding it for a range of reasons discussed above. This does not mean that they want to find a cage to inhabit, more so they want to find a door that will open up new possibilities for them without compromising their safety, their reputation or their relationships with family members. The range of activities that are described by contributors to this short book indicates the range and depth of what happens when they find such a door. Far from being doors into cages, the youth work interventions described open up expansive opportunities to get involved in sport, in the arts, in leisure, in debate, in informal education, and in association with other young people from diverse backgrounds. Inside those doors the world does not shrink it grows like the famous tardis of the popular television time traveller character Dr Who. The tardis of the hit television series looks like an old telephone kiosk on the outside but when you step inside it is much bigger on the inside that it is on the outside. I hope this text has illustrated that there is more to youth work with Muslim young women and girls than the image of a separatist cage in the public eye. This does not mean that there is enough youth work with Muslim young women and girls or that all of it represents good practice. There needs to be less bad practice, more good practice and better communication, partnership working, collaboration and availability to every young woman who wants to take part. Rather than trying to start a roll-out programme nationally, a ‘let every flower bloom’ approach could suit young women’s needs best. This does not let funders and local and central government off the hook in terms of investing in work with young women including women-only work. In exchange there is so much potential to develop communities and to foster better relationships between different young people in terms of race, ethnicity, class, language, faith and gender. The imaginary ‘cage’ is a real great meeting place and, being a tardis in real life, there is room for many to get involved in exciting adventures together overcoming barriers and constraints!
Conclusion
Ali, A. (2005) Muslim Youth in Britain: A Ticking Time Bomb? British Muslim Research Centre. November 2005
Batsleer, J., Burman. E., Chantler, K. Pantling, K., Smailes, S., McIntosh, H. S. and Warner, S. (2002) Domestic Violence and Minoritisation: supporting women towards independence, Women’s Studies Research Centre, MMU
Fulat, S. and Jaffrey,R. Muslim Youth Helpline: A model of youth engagement in service delivery. In Youth and Policy Number 92 Summer 2006 (151-171)
Julios, C. (2005) British Muslim Profile Briefing Paper CEMVO: London
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 49 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? Muslim Girlswork: The ultimate separatist cage?
Gill Cressey
‘It gets them out of the house’ is Muslim Young Women’s equivalent of ‘it gets them off the street’. Just as young Muslim men have been stereotyped and classified as a monogamous crowd of young people vulnerable to recruitment by drug pushers, gangs and extremists, young Muslim women have been stereotyped and classified as a monogamous hidden domestic army vulnerable to forced marriages and subordination by parents and brothers. Youth workers too often slip into popular discourse of this essentialising kind when justifying their work to funders and communities. This paper explores on what grounds, if any, provision for Muslim young women (separate from other young women as well as from young men) can be justified. It critiques reasons given for single sex work with Muslim young people and challenges discourses that shape uncritical custom and practice of work with young Muslim women. It suggests that different intentions cause different processes and outcomes, some positive and some damaging. Projects that target Muslim young women are compared with generic work with young women and girls. Empirical evidence from interviews with Birmingham young women, parents and youth workers is used as the basis for this discussion.
Keywords: intentions, space, safety, expectations, restrictions, contest
y interest in this subject stems from working for a local charitable trust in inner city Birmingham as a community development worker in the 1980s including a significant emphasis on work with young women; and working as a sessional girlsworker for a local authority. Thereafter I have kept in touch with some of the young women and their families and with colleagues focusing on youthM work with young women. I have worked with women in women-only settings catering for all local women irrespective of race, age or faith and with young women in gender mixed settings; as well as with specific Muslim young women’s groups. Reflecting back on all of those work and life experiences gave me an appetite to explore how the work is being conceptualised and implemented now. Therefore, I entered into enquiry conversations with individuals and groups of people with an angle on the subject: young women, parents of young women, girlsworkers, and youth workers.
Just before the National Conference on Muslim Youth Work I was preparing to give a presentation on the topic of this article and was seeking inspiration. It came to me in a convoluted and unexpected way. I went to Jummah prayer in a guild of students and as is customary there was a khutbah (sermon). The young man who was giving this talk urged us all:
Brothers, sisters and elders. We all need to learn to live together as brothers.
I wish I could say that I couldn’t believe my ears but unfortunately it was all too familiar. Some of us have to learn to live as sisters and to deal with brothers and elders! His remarks were an echo for me of the irony of starting a revolution allegedly dedicated to freedom and democracy with the idea of brotherhood: Fraternity, Equality and Liberty. Images of young women being pressurised to stop wearing hijaab in public places in France sprang into my mind. More recently, at the opening of the winter Olympics an official from the International Olympics Committee addressed millions of people about the inspiration and philosophy of the Olympics being ‘peace, tolerance and brotherhood.’ This suggests that there is still a need globally to make space for sisters. Back at the Jummah prayer the young Imam went on to pray in Arabic for ‘the young people and women to be corrected from evil and guided to goodness.’ How selfless of him in his generous concern for the rest of us! The Youth Service has a history of
50 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women being accused likewise of trying to correct young men and protect young women.
I set about enquiring about Muslim Girlswork by interviewing individual young women and parents using the following interview guide:
Experiences and opinions about single sex work.
Reasons for and against doing it.
Why is it needed and by whom?
Should it always be in conjunction with mixed work or can it be ‘stand alone’?
Can you see any need for specifically Muslim girlswork as opposed to general girlswork?
I also conducted a series of group sessions with youth workers about the reasons for doing Girlswork in neighbourhoods with Muslim communities. I started each session by dividing men and women into separate discussion groups and later brought them back together to discuss a scenario. I will use transcribed material from these young women, parents and youth workers throughout the article. Transcribed speech is written in italics.
Discussion of reasons for doing Muslim girlswork revealed a range of motivations Young Muslim woman worker: If it’s young women’s needs that count, who decides that need: the girls or other people in their lives as usual? Dictating to young people what is needed is counter-productive.
A young Muslim woman worker made this comment bringing in the intention of basing youth work on the needs of young people at the same time as acknowledging other needs and influences that may compete to define it.
Girl: If you are in a group of people sharing similar experiences and sharing similar pressures you can share freely and quickly, it flows.
Girl: Separate conversations need separate space, that’s not negative it’s just so. You have to be less conscious what you’re saying in a single-sex group.
A number of young women said that they value all-girls’ conversations whether at a girlswork session or informally for ease of sharing, feeling quickly understood and offering support from personal experience.
Muslim man youth worker: It’s just realistic that if Muslim parents prefer single sex youth work and will not give consent to their children taking part otherwise that such chances should be provided because it gets over a barrier in a straightforward way.
Girl: Girls clubs are good for parents, they feel glad and proud to let everyone see them do the decent thing and escort us about and send us to girls-only this or that or keep us home.
Returning to the question of whose needs girlswork is designed to meet there were a number of remarks about the demands of parents, and no mention of the demands of girls. Several girls were of the opinion that their parents’ concern over what other people in the community thought of the family and their daughter was a decisive factor in parents’ insistence on girls- only provision of schools and other services.
Young Muslim woman girlsworker: I’ve been asked to get the girls to start coming so we’re starting with a girls group for girl’s activities – activities the girls want like hair and nails and all that.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 51 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
The view that if girls are not currently taking part the best way to get them to come is to start a girls-only group recurred in group discussions by youth workers but was not commented on by young women or their parents. Girls came up with a much wider range of activities that they would like to take part in than beauty and fashion.
Muslim woman arts worker: For some young Muslim women mixed is fine but what about the others? What about access for those who due to their own cultural codes at the time are not comfortable or willing to be in mixed settings, we are trying to offer opportunities to them too. Some change their codes others continue to stick to women only settings or their home. There’s a spectrum and many women who will mix still enjoy some women-only time/events.
Cultural expectations for women and men not to mix were given as a central reason for the need for Muslim girlswork by many youth workers, by parents and by a few of the young women. However there was acknowledgement of differences of interpretation and degrees of separation expected. Whilst there are Islamic requirements for modesty and decency in relations between men and women these are interpreted differently by different Muslims and there are also different degrees of adherence creating a wide array of gender sensitive cultural practices as well as separated spaces for women and men.
When Muslim girlswork is done by a Muslim organisation the expectation may be to fit in with the existing gender segregation practices of the organisation.
Senior member of Muslim girls’ group: We’re part of a wider Muslim organisation. Public spaces are all separate in the organisation for men and women. From aged 9 upwards men and women have different meeting spaces and this includes the youth groups. Planning meetings and some visits, conferences and trips are mixed though. We have some events with speakers where young women and young men sit apart but in the same room, listen to the same talk and join in the discussion together but then they wouldn’t mix socially with each other after the formal part of the event, women and men would eat and chat separately. It’s our culture to do it like that.
There is a tension in faith based youth work between transmission of the faith and religious education with the purpose of continuance of religious belief, custom and practice in the next generation and the voluntary relationship of choice on the part of the young person. Islam accepts that there should be no compulsion in religion on the one hand and gives parents a duty to discipline their children if they do not pray on the other hand. This tension is also visible in discussions about Muslim girlswork. Is the only acceptable environment for young Muslim women Women-only, Muslim-only and an educational programme designed to prepare them to be good wives and mothers and to know enough about Islam to be the first religious teachers of their children? Taqlid or emulation is a widely used idea in the Muslim world when it comes to children and young people, as is the idea that there is such a thing as an Islamic upbringing. This leads a range of Muslims into a way of thinking about youth work as setting an appropriate example for young Muslims to emulate and many Muslim parents have an expectation that youth workers and teachers must set a good example in their behaviour and conduct.
A father: There are places I prefer them all not to go, my sons and my daughters nieces and nephews, like ... [a local youth centre] because the behaviour and standards there I disapprove of. What kind of example are those youth workers? There is girlswork and boyswork separately over there but that’s not the point. What are they discussing and encouraging there? That is what I don’t trust.
A mother: It’s mixed but I trust the standards of the youth worker. He seeks consent from us about the programme of activities from us and I feel the atmosphere is educational and suitable and provides good opportunities for her to learn and develop herself. It can help her for her future.
In terms of non-Muslim youth workers working with young Muslim women or men this is a real challenge: how to be well thought of enough to be considered an appropriate person to
52 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women emulate. The idea of being a role model is not only popular amongst Muslims, it is popular amongst trainee youth workers on our University courses. How can we be good role models without attempting to clone ourselves, disregarding what is in the best interests of the young person? Who is girlswork for, us or them? It is a challenge for each youth worker to become trusted enough by young women and their families to be a suitable example.
Rep. Muslim Women’s organisation: I have been there and lived what they are living. I have been a young woman rebelling in a strict Muslim family so I feel in a good position and amongst other women in a good position to support young women in a way that other women can’t because they have not the same life experiences to draw on. We just understand what’s going on in the context of the whole family and community setting better by being part of it. We can be familiar with them like sisters or aunties for them to talk things over with.
Father: It is important to talk to parents instead of assuming that we all think the same. We need to know what our daughters are being invited to what for and who by before consenting. It’s a matter of trust; put yourself in my shoes wouldn’t you want to know what you are agreeing to for her?
The idea of intention is an important Islamic notion. We have an understanding that the intention behind the carrying out of actions is significant to the very nature of the action. If we pray or fast, give charity or make a pilgrimage we start with trying to purify and clarify our intention for doing so. Intentions are important for the way work with young women and girls is constructed and conducted. What are our intentions behind the work? Also what are our intentions behind gender separate work as opposed to gender blind or gender sensitive work?
Girl: I’d rather go to mixed youth activities so I can learn how to mix sensibly without a big issue over it, after all if I want to work and earn and survive or go to Uni and all that I have to learn to mix confidently.
Are we trying to socialise young women into existing roles perpetuating control over them by men and by elders or supporting their development by offering a space to be themselves and to make life choices of their own? Are we trying to clone ourselves or to please their parents by cloning their mothers, or are we able to get away from being ‘role models’ and start to be listeners and advocates? Can we really claim to have got away from being a kind of modern finishing school for dutiful, beautiful wives?
Does any youth worker have the right or the ability to reproduce ourselves in the next generation? Such an enterprise could be either inappropriate or futile. Whether we are middle class professional Muslim women, feminist ‘Western’ women (or both), or working class non-Muslim men, Arab men … whoever we are what is our agenda and how can we avoid imposition that perpetuates young women’s powerlessness? Cultural transmission is a powerful driver for Muslim Girlswork and we need to critique it in order to make Youth Work central again. Girlswork is often wittingly or unwittingly about transmission of culture including gender expectations. However, the claim that girlswork is about personal development and choice for a young woman persists in the narratives of girlsworkers.
The idea of a cage comes from Weber’s idea of the iron cage of bureaucracy whereby organisational structures are replicated and individuals operate within increasingly prescribed roles and functions. This has been picked up by Powell and DiMaggio in an article about how voluntary organisations reproduce and replicate existing structures under the influence of prevailing trends and funding dependencies. They ask:
Why does it seem to be so difficult for individuals committed to innovation or diversity to maintain organizations that differ enduringly (in critical aspects of structure, culture, or programming) from other organizations in their industries? (Powell and DiMaggio, 1983:147).
Work with young women and girls has trends and patterns that tend to reproduce themselves.
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 53 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Here is one example scenario that recurred in my enquiries amongst youth workers. There is a youth centre and a detached youth work project in a neighbourhood. The youth centre is heavily used but only by a certain group of young men. There is under-representation in terms of the race and faith make-up of the local population demonstrated by the youth centre’s ‘monitoring’ exercise compared with census statistics and the youth centre is required to demonstrate equality of opportunity. So they make an action plan to reach ‘hard to reach’ young people, encouraged by the fact that there is a funding source that likes such initiatives. There are not enough Asians at the centre, not enough Muslims at the centre considering the neighbourhood profile and virtually no women at the centre. So the team jump to an obvious proposal: a group specially designed for young Asian women especially Muslim ones. The next assumption based on the team’s understanding of cultural barriers to participation by these underrepresented groups at the club is that young Asian (particularly Muslim) women would only be allowed by their parents to attend women-only sessions and also young women and their families may be attracted to particular activities and object to some activities such as sex education, mixed sport and performing arts, dance and music. This led them to design a planned separatism along gender, age and faith lines. They successfully applied for funds for a Muslim girls’ club and after some confrontation with existing users of the centre managed to negotiate a night for the group to have the centre completely to themselves. To further reassure parents and demonstrate public respect for ‘cultural needs’ they put mirror paper on the windows so that no-one would be able to see in. They advertised a programme of activities that they thought would be attractive to local young women such as hair and beauty including bridal henna, Islamic fashion design, healthy eating and exercise. The group started well but a few incidents undermined the popularity of the group. One of the girls-workers was rumoured to be having an affair with the centre manager. Whether this was true or not it damaged her reputation as a good role model. At the request of some of the young women a dance session was organised. Some young women felt that this was ‘unislamic’. Two members of the group who were both very active and participative fell out with each other over a remark being made about a relative, and this caused a family schism in the family that they were both part of and so they were unwilling to attend if the other one was still doing so. The group became under- subscribed. The workers decided that it may be best to try to attract a younger age group and changed the criteria from aged 14-19 to age 11-16. They made an effort to put on some events to include mothers and their daughters and a new group was recruited, mainly of 11 year olds who were only permitted to attend in their school lunch hour due to other commitments after school. The group began meeting in the girls’ school at lunch time. The original aim of making the youth centre a resource that is used by a broader cross section of young people was not really accomplished in this process although the girlswork staff could work with this new group. The mirror glass is still on the youth centre windows but the young women are not inside to be shielded from public view, instead their absence is shielded from public view. This scenario was very familiar to the individuals and groups that I put it to and they recognised that there is some pattern to it that is replicated elsewhere. When presented with this real case based scenario the groups of youth workers that I presented it to came up with a number of critiques and problems that they associate with girlswork.
Non-Muslim woman youth worker: If there was a wider initiative to change the youth service to meet the needs of all young people, then girls would find that all youth work was also girlswork, because all youth work would be a response to the needs of a diversity of individual young people.
Senior non-Muslim man youth worker: I have only ever experienced badly thought out provision with poor management and inadequate long term strategy and resourcing.
Non-Muslim girlsworker: The problems of a community can never be solved without integration and a willingness to respond to internal and external conflicts, tensions and changes faced by the community as a whole. Separating sections of the community from each other keeps divisions going indefinitely.
Senior non-Muslim man youth worker: Separate provision inevitably leads to resentment of those who are not in that group, in this case that could be young men or non-Muslim women or
54 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women older women.
Muslim woman girlsworker: Presenting choices to young people should include choices of provision including gender specific and gender sensitive options.
Non-Muslim woman girlsworker: Young men often disrupt the girlswork sessions. Young men’s work either as an after-thought or as a reaction to the sexism they come out with when girls- only sessions are introduced can’t work well because it is started on a negative note.
Non-Muslim woman youth worker: There is a long history of successful girlswork by the Girls’ Friendly Society, the Girl Guide Association and the YWCA. Why not open all that up more to young Muslim women instead of reinventing the wheel and duplicating resources?
There are various reasons given for doing girls-only and women-only work. In Coming in from the Margins, Carpenter and Young (1986) summarise these under the headings: numbers, fairness, analysis and demand. When insufficient numbers of young women are using the Youth Service, young women’s groups may be set up as an incentive and attraction for young women who may be put off by the appearance of such a male preserve.
Young woman Muslim girlsworker: We get them to start coming through girlswork and then try to get them interested and confident to join in general activities.
Young woman Muslim girlsworker: Young women from these communities are ‘hard to reach’
This reason was cited several times in the interviews that I conducted. Fairness arises as a concern when resources are not used equally accessibly by young women and young men. A young women’s group is a way of creating a visible redressing of ‘fairness’. Again the need to offer fair and accessible resources and facilities for all young people featured amongst reasons given by workers for girls-only provision. Analysis of the position of women and men in society and the persistence of patriarchy often leads to the conclusion that an opportunity for women to be together in a space apart will present an opportunity to support one anther in addressing concerns and issues without the pressure of either deferring to men or making the effort not to. This was a much less clearly articulated area of my discussions with girlsworkers and other youth workers. There was not agreement about analysis of whether sexism persists and about how best to tackle it if it does. Those who do feel that there is a real need for girls to have their own spaces to gain confidence and opportunities without competition from young men did not give a very clear analysis of why they felt this was needed generally by young women. This is probably not helped by the absence of girls in much of the popular and sociological literature and public discourse on youth (McRobbie, 2000). Demand by young women interestingly was cited less in my enquiries with youth workers and young women and parents than demand from parents was. In fact several youth workers talked of finding it very difficult to get any enthusiasm or commitment from girls and young women for participating in girls work activities:
Young Woman Muslim girlsworker: It’s really difficult to access and contact the young women and to get any commitment out of them.
Early girlswork such as the girls-work that formed the foundation of the National Association of Youth Clubs (Carpenter and Young, 1986) was set up to support the individual needs and rights of young women, in particular young women who were factory workers. It was not free of the desire to reform and save young women, but it did essentially make an explicit claim to be working with and for young women specifically in order to address their needs. There was a class bias in that often girls clubs were run by middle class women for working class women but in the case of the self help of young workers this was not always the case. Over and above the reasons for girls only work of numbers, fairness, analysis and demand, there is a discourse of young women’s needs. In the case of contemporary Muslim young women, there is a particular discourse of ‘special need’ and ‘cultural need’ (Alexander, 2000) that distinguishes, even segregates them from generic girls-work. Whilst cultural awareness may be an important
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 55 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? aspect of inclusive youth work, stereotypical framing of girls into categories is not and there can be a fine line. Muslim girlswork actually based on fairness, analysis and demand (Carpenter and Young, 1986) rather than special need could be a way out of the cage.
In the foreword to Freire’s Pedagogy of the oppressed, Richard Shaull (1972) suggests that education can either function as a means of integrating and conforming young people into the logic of the current system or as a means by which people deal critically with their own realities and discover how to bring about change and development. The language of liberation from oppression, exploitation and poverty is out of fashion but is it not relevant to describe the needs of young Muslim women in Britain at the present time? Inferiorisation and exploitation of women are challenged in the Qur’an. The ‘cultural need’ that is thought to produce a particular need for women-only provision for young Muslim women is about not mingling with young men because of strict expectations not to be attracted to the opposite sex outside marriage. Separation should not be confused with control and subordination. It is the nature of the space allocated to young Muslim women that is important regarding whether the space is controlling or liberating, a place to feel safe, at home, valued and accepted or a place to feel restricted and contained. Getting clarity about which processes are actually happening ‘liberty and equality’ or control by the ‘fraternity’ is complex.
One of the paradoxes is that women collude, seek comfort and even at times gain a sense of empowerment within the spaces allocated to them by fundamentalist movements (Sahgal and Yuval Davis, 1992:9)
In the name of a version of multiculturalism that is about tolerance of preservation of the ‘traditions and cultures’ of different ethnic minorities, culture is used as a so-called reason for accepting gendered practices and criticism of such practices can be construed as racist (Sahgal and Yuval Davis, 1992).
Pro-segregation Muslim discourse
‘ties the control of girls to the dangers of growing up in a secular society in the “morally degenerate West”’ (Ibid:20)
Non-Muslim girlsworker: In terms of the girls-work programme it’s difficult to get the curriculum right for everyone. Young Muslim women won’t join in sexual health education, dance, music.
Non-Muslim woman youth worker: ... or sometimes their parents refuse consent or the girls won’t ask for consent in case they meet objection; or some times some of them want to do activities against the parents wishes and we are caught in between. We should do sexual health work strictly speaking with parent’s consent but if the young women say they need it but without the parents knowing well we are caught and some of us go ahead without involving parents if we feel that the young women may endanger their health and wellbeing ...
Muslim woman girlsworker: It’s a matter of trust. If parents and families trust what is going on in terms of decency and standards and boundaries of behaviour then young women could join in the general club. The main thing needed is trust, sensitivity, communication. Some could join in mixed settings others need women-only, others need Muslim women only or even Somali Muslim young women only. We have to start with where they are and what they are free to get involved with.
Those Muslims who favour strict separation of unrelated young women and men often do so through fear that what they regard as the moral depravity of the West will woo young Muslims away from the straight path of Islam. This means that there is not only concern that girls should not mix with boys but also that they should not mix with ‘Western’ girls or ‘Western’ and ‘Westernised’ youth workers, particularly not ‘morally degenerate’ ones. Separate schools, separate refuges, separate youth provision can all be proposed from this starting point but they can be suggested for entirely different reasons too. Black women in the early eighties set
56 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women up autonomous women’s groups and took up the issue of domestic violence. Asian women in London Boroughs argued for local council funding for refuge exclusively for Asian women based on the need for Asian women to have separate spaces to live in with women who could understand dealing with racism as well as with sexism. Local councils more often funded such projects on the basis of cultural and linguistic difference and culturally specific pressures, expectations and practices (Sahgal and Yuval Davis, 1992). Relationships between the anti- racist and feminist movements and girlswork stand in contrast with Muslim conservatism. A series of contradictions that girlswork is in danger of ensnaring itself with lie in the contradiction between anti-sexism and multiculturalism’s tolerance of religious organisations without equal opportunities commitments. This could be compounded by being funded or managed by several separate committees with inadequate communication and collaboration e.g. Race Relations Units, Women’s Units and Youth Units all diverging from one another in their approaches. Social customs of families and communities of any culture cannot be used as an excuse to tolerate intolerable violence, subordination and control of young women. Youth work should not be condoning young men attempting to control their sisters if youth work is committed to equal opportunities.
The youth service has colluded with funders in basing work with Asian young people and in particular with Asian young women on a perception of cultural need and special need (Alexander, 2000). Provision is often aimed specifically at Asian young women because they are perceived as being ‘doubly disadvantaged’. This also slides into being separate provision specifically for Muslim girls, again on the assumption of cultural need to preserve particular gender expectations and roles and on the basis of being ‘multiply disadvantaged’ through being female, young Muslim and maybe Asian. Several of the young women I enquired of complained about restriction on their freedom to do what they would like to do imposed on them by their families.
Young woman youth worker: God my brother is doing my head in he is so over-protective. If I am even five minutes late he is pacing up and down fretting about what has happened or what I may be doing. He watches where I go, who I meet, what I say, who I phone, what I wear, how I walk in the street, everything. I like the feeling of being protected ... important enough to him for him to bother so much about what happens to me. But it gets too much at times and I just wish he would give me a bit of space and leeway to take care of myself.
Girl: They don’t even like me relaxing in my room. They just want me to join in with them and do chores and stuff and they are paranoid about me using the internet.
Girl: What can I do? I am used to making decisions for myself but I’m also used to people making them for me. I know all about people deciding my life for me.
Girl: Young women often are treated like we haven’t a mind of our own, we are being told all the time what to do, even how to wear things, how to walk ... constantly told.
Girl: They don’t even let you have any fun. There’s a reason to object to everything I want to do, They don’t want me to go out, although I do. They don’t want me to spend my money on what I want like a telly for my bedroom. They think the whole family should have it or no one.
In some cases, they weighed this up against a sense of being protected and prized as worthy of defending.
Girl: The area is no good, my brothers are constantly in trouble and they are normal here. I grew up more protected from all that, in the house or being taken by my Dad to school and back or by my Mum to visit people nearby .
Reflecting on their position as young women amongst women several girls spoke about power relations between themselves and other women on age grounds.
Girl: Women, some of them live too much by tradition, they just don’t think for themselves, just
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 57 The Ultimate Separatist Cage? follow stories; looking over their shoulders to the past and to what other people think, instead of seeing the present world around them for themselves through their own eyes. They should let themselves wake up to here and now.
Girl: They ask me how come you play with the boys and talk freely with them? Like they don’t approve of that and my Mum told me to change myself about that because people would talk bad about me.
Freedom comes in two forms, freedom to and freedom from. Girls-work can be based on either or both. We can emphasise freedom to learn and develop as individuals, freedom to make choices, to take part and have a say, to worship or not, to be safe and healthy, to be respected and to have meaningful relationships in life. Alternatively we can stress freedom from. Maybe we set ourselves up to try to liberate young women from undue control, from unwanted attention, sex and abuse, from force and exploitation, from Islamophobia, racism, sexism and compulsion. Young women are not always prone to use their freedom in the way that adults fear, for their own reasons
Girl: They worry that I want to meet boys but boys all go around in gangs, use drugs and show off to each other, beating each other up and all that. Why should I be interested in them. Boys are a waste of space.
It is also possible to aim to achieve both freedom from and freedom to, for and by young women. It is possible but it is a struggle that is rarely embarked upon and sustained due to constant challenges and set backs. It is a challenge to work with young women in a way that does not limit them but equally does not compromise their sense of security and does not get them into trouble with significant people in their lives. Youth workers disagree about what is difficult and what is assumed to be difficult.
Male youth worker: Obviously it’s difficult for me to involve young women as an Asian male worker
Another Male youthworker in reply: Not obvious to me why that should be difficult. As an Arab male worker I organised a residential visit to another country and the majority of young people taking part were young women. It’s to do with the nature of the activities that are organised, being careful about getting consent from parents and young women, and reassurances about the code of behaviour that will be expected of everyone taking part.
Young woman: Come to my school or college or workplace, even come shopping with me up town – girls all over! But our families don’t want us to go to local youth services due to their reputation for example they feel young women and men mix too freely and just go there to get off with each other.
There is a clear image problem that local youth services need to overcome in order to become more accessible and putting on girls-only sessions will not cover it. A range of accessible work with young women is needed, some women-only, some targeted specifically at meeting the needs of young Muslim women and some gender-sensitive and culturally-sensitive general youth work. To be trusted to do this by young women and their families excellent diplomatic communication is needed.
Rep from a women’s organisation: Young women need more than a chance to meet each other, more than a few social activities; they need services and real support with issues affecting them including domestic violence and situations of forced marriages and things that we all wish did not exist in our community but still do. They need legal protection from abuse, from female genital mutilation, from rape... from so many terrible threats to their happiness. This sometimes means, I am sorry to say this but, sometimes means safety and protection from their own families rather than by their own families. Control by fathers and brothers cannot be justified simply as culture or as religion.
58 THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY Youth Work with Muslim Young Women
The argument that girlswork should not be based on a generalised stereotypical view of Muslim girls as having ‘special needs’ does not negate the entitlement of young Muslim women to services and real support with issues affecting them. If work with young women is diverse, as young women are, and wholly focused on the actual needs of young women and girls, then a whole range of different forms of support, campaigns, and services will be required.
This article has discussed reasons given for single sex work with Muslim young people and challenges discourses that shape uncritical custom and practice of work with young Muslim women. It does not come down against specifically targeted youth work but urges that young women’s real and diverse needs should be at the heart of this work. Since young Muslim women are varied and diverse in their interpretations and relationships to Islam and to cultural practices they cannot be simply categorised as having a ‘special cultural need’ to be in single sex settings. Other reasons for doing girls only work with a strong historical basis in youth work in Britain can equally apply to Muslim young women such as analysis of their particular life experiences, demand from young women themselves, and fairness in access to youth work services and resources. Gender specific programmes have a clear place in development of a strategy for youth work with Muslim young people as they do in youth work strategy generally but so do gender sensitive programmes in terms of experiences they offer young women (Mead, 1995).
This research has highlighted for me the importance of re-examining the aims and intentions behind Muslim Girlswork and recognising the diversity of young Muslim women and their needs in order to avoid making a cage for ourselves. It has encouraged me to explore with others how, rather than simply reproducing the status quo and socialising young people into existing power relationships, we can offer meaningful opportunities for young British Muslim women to learn to become the women they want to be. Intentions matter and rather than creating a cage to trap ourselves we need to be really clear about when and why we need deliberately gendered spaces in youth work.
References
Alexander, C. (2000) The Asian Gang, Oxford: Berg.
Carpenter, V. and Young, K. (1986) Coming in from the margins, Leicester: National Association of Youth Clubs.
DiMaggio, P. and Powell,W. ‘”The iron cage revisited” institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields,’ American Sociological Review, 48 (1983), 147-60.
Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth: Penguin.
McRobbie, A. (2000) Feminism and Youth Culture, Basingstoke: Macmillan
Mead, M. (1995) Gender specific programs: Do they produce different outcomes for women and girls than gender sensitive and gender blind programs? Paper for ARNOVA conference, Cleveland Ohio.
Sahgal, G. and Yuval-Davis, N. (eds) (1992) Refusing Holy Orders, London: Virago
THE NATIONAL YOUTH AGENCY 59 The Ultimate Separatist Cage?
Notes and contacts:
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