Making meaning to Maguindanaon Muslim women, reinterprets sacred scriptures that have child bride implications

Abstract

Child marriage and being a child bride is a social phenomenon that is still being practiced in some parts of the world. Although most of these countries already have legal sanctions against the practice, enforcement of these laws is slow and difficult. Can this phenomenon be explored in the context of religion? This thesis is a qualitative research conducted during a pandemic is a semi-life narrative using double hermeneutic analysis to make meaning to the lived realities of five Maguindanaon Muslim women and one man (who is part of an activist group against child marriage) in the context of religion and social phenomenon. The participants participated in the reinterpretation of Islamic sacred scriptures that have child marriage implications. The advocacy of feminism and standpoint, particularly feminist standpoint, explores the lives of those considered marginalized, oppressed, and silenced groups to give out their voice, agency, reflexivity, and opinion in this thesis in the framework- when religion meets a controversial social phenomenon. This thesis is conducted to identify the role of religion in the social phenomenon in the lives of the participants and to reveal the power structures governing them.