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growing Islamic revival in Indonesia known as the hijrah movement has sparked debate over gender equality, with feminists raising concerns over a concomitant campaign that encourages Muslim women to prioritize domestic duties over personal ambitions.

In the hijrah movement, preachers are advising women to work on their womanhood by returning to their “nature” of prioritizing domestic duties over personal goals.

In historical terms, hijrah refers to the period of Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution, which marked the beginning of the Muslim era.

The term is also used today to mark a Muslim’s life-changing transformation by adopting a greater adherence to Islamic teachings.

Concerns about the movement were brought to light at a recent international conference for young Muslim women in Jakarta.

A 34-year-old participant, Rita, shared her experience attending kajian (sermons) designated for women at mosques in East Jakarta, where she lives. She decided to join the hijrah movement a year ago. She learned that most sessions discussed the perceived nature of Muslim women.

“Several female preachers often tell us that we should stay at home, because it is men who bear the responsibility of making a living. If women work, that means we neglect our kids. I am in a dilemma. I really want to adhere to Islamic teachings, but I can’t just quit my job. I’ve struggled to get to this point in my career,” Rita said.

She also reflected on how the campaign affected the gender equality movement.

“They told us that we shouldn’t demand equality because women and men can never be equal,” she said.

One of the speakers, Lampung Deputy Governor Chusnunia Chalim, shared her experience as a local leader who has been met with resistance simply because of her gender.

“[Men] are against [Muslim] women who work because they don’t trust us. Our job is to show that we can be good [at what we do],” she said.

An online sermon by celebrity preacher Khalid Basalamah, which went viral on social media, suggested that the home was the best place for a woman.

“A wife is the queen of the house — they are always ready to answer to their husband’s needs, to cook and to take care of their children,” he said.

He also suggested that allowing wives to leave home for work would make it possible for women to have unintentional physical contact with other men, such as in public buses, and argued that this was degrading for women.

Another celebrity preacher, Felix Siauw, once suggested that women who were strong and independent were rather “scary”.

Not all Muslim women seem to mind these sentiments.

Nur Azzizah Rauf, 28, recently quit her job to stay at home after being exposed to such sermons. She is now active on social media and has encouraged other women to follow suit.

“Sometimes I am annoyed with women who are proud of their career. What should they be proud of when they neglect their spouses?” she said.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) acknowledged the contradictory values between those promoted by the conservative group and those who championed gender equality.

“Islam teaches that taking care of children is the responsibility of the parents, meaning the father and the mother. But many [men] still refuse [to accept] the idea of sharing domestic roles,” Komnas Perempuan chairwoman Azriana said, highlighting the greatest challenges the gender equality movement faced.

“Every time we fight for prowomen policies, we are labeled the liberals,” Azriana said.

Nur Rofiah, a lecturer of Quranic Studies at the Quranic Studies Institute (PTIQ) in Jakarta, said Islam taught its followers of all generations to be qualified in different fields for the greater good.

She also encouraged women to be independent economically to prevent themselves from falling victim to domestic violence.

“Not all women have [good] husbands,” Rofiah said.