STRATEGIC INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN IN THE HORN OF AFRICA (SIHA)- CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) is a coalition of civil society organizations from Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland and Uganda. Founded in 1995, the organization advocates for social change and gender equality in the Horn of Africa and works specifically on protecting women’s human rights, promoting women’s access to justice, supporting economic empowerment and activating women’s political participation.
The SIHA “Women in Islam,” Journal, is an annual publication available both in English and Arabic and focuses on selected countries in the Horn of Africa, which are most affected by the recent surge of militant and restrictive interpretations of the Islamic religion, leading to an invigorated and further entrenched environment of female subjugation. Thus, “Women in Islam” is about disseminating alternative discourses of Islamic interpretations on women’s and human rights and doing so through an accessible medium which will appeal to a broad audience of readers. The journal maintains a balance between education and humor and contains carefully selected original contributions and essays, book reviews, short stories, art, scholarly reflection, and interviews. It will specifically touch on women’s rights in Islam, the veil, marriage and divorce, adultery, women’s political participation, and women’s status in society. The thoughts and research presented in the journal are generated from credible Islamic scholars and writers both from the Horn of Africa and across the globe.
The Journal contains various sections, whereby submitted articles could possibly be essays, book reviews, short stories, scholarly reflections and interviews which target positive role models, male & female, with livable, adaptable examples, which shall connect to the reader and render their thoughts and acts attractive. Introducing civil society organizations working in the respective field and the work of artists shall inspire to participate and build own opinions. It further includes progressive Islamic thoughts, both modern and historic, by authors and researchers from different countries, to provide a range of behaviors and alternatives to improve individual and family life and at last society. Critical reviews of negative practices shall argue their negative impacts and selected research shall reveal false sources assumed for their practice. Furthermore the articles could possibly also include the promotion of respective books and films shall inspire people to search for further material on their own and to take further the acquired topics and themes on their own and to spread them.
Generally articles should touch upon issues such as:
- Personal narratives, experiences of men and women living in and alongside Muslim communities , stories of interactions or personal development.
- Reviews on literature, which challenges the status quo and gives access to knowledge and awareness on enlightened, diverse and modern perspectives towards Islam
- Profiles of men and women, whose work and contributions within communities are/were countering the stereotyping of dominant discourses and conceptions.
- Opinion pieces on current issues around religious laws, gender, political Islam and international perspective of the subject matter .
- Interviews with men and women form around the Muslim world or who are interacting with Muslim or living inside Muslim communities
- Research relevant for the above outlined objectives of gender and Islam, within the Horn of Africa and Sahel region.
Please submit your article to journal@sihanet.org . Kindly notice that only authors of selected articles or articles which SIHA would like to consider for future Volumes of “Women in Islam” will be contacted. You may submit contributions in English or Arabic.
