Abstract

The history of feminism in the USSR is marked by a paradox: while the Soviet state officially championed gender equality, women’s roles were largely confined to traditional domains like motherhood and domestic labor, all under the guise of political rhetoric about liberation. Independent feminist movements were discouraged, as the state claimed to have resolved gender issues. This fostered a culture of sexism that persisted into the post-Soviet era, where feminist discourse remains marginalized, particularly in Kazakhstan and other former Soviet countries. Globally, the conversation about women’s roles in modernizing and interpreting Islam gained momentum in the 1990s, especially in Muslim-majority nations such as Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, and the United States. However, this movement largely bypassed Muslim women in post-Soviet states. Muslim feminism emerged as a response to modernization, striving to reinterpret religious teachings in line with contemporary ideals of equality and democracy. Feminists highlight that the Quran does not prohibit women from praying during menstruation, becoming imams, or leading prayers, and they reject interpretations that justify violence against women. In Kazakhstan and other former Soviet Muslim nations, however, these feminist reinterpretations have had limited influence. Many see feminism as outdated or irrelevant, viewing it as a competition between men and women that has already been “won” by women. Furthermore, the socialist past, which suppressed religious discussions, has stunted conversations about the intersection of Islam and feminism. As global movements push for a rethinking of women’s roles, women in Kazakhstan often gravitate toward more traditional interpretations of Islam, leaving the country on the periphery of these broader feminist developments. This highlights the pressing need for open, inclusive dialogue on gender issues, which remains critically underdeveloped in these contexts.