Can you imagine a world without women? Yes, where your mum isn’t there to fill you up with love and warm cuddles. Or no sisters to tease and play with. And if you are a girl yourself, how would you feel if you were a boy? Strange and weird, isn’t it? Life would be totally devoid of colours, giggles, cuddles and tasty food that only a mother can make.

While it is impossible to imagine a world without women or ignore their importance in our lives, they are often treated as if they matter less. Their hard work goes unnoticed, their voices are hushed, and their dreams put on hold. How unfair is that?

Women not just fill our lives with love and warmth — they have brains that can build, hearts that can lead and hands that can create. Women’s contributions to society and their fundamental rights as human beings have been ignored for centuries, in all cultures and nations, even those that call themselves champions of progress and human rights.

And it is because of this gender inequality that Women’s Day is observed annually on March 8, in an effort to put the spotlight on issues affecting women all over the world. It’s pretty ironic that women’s rights issues are often seen as the worst in countries where Islam is the main religion, considering Islam actually gives women rights unmatched in any religion or culture.

So, as we celebrate Women’s Day, it’s important to talk about the amazing rights and status that Islam gives to women. And it’s not just about knowing these rights — it’s also about clearing up the misunderstandings caused by outdated cultural ideas that have........

© Dawn Young Magazine