Muslim Women’s Empowerment Strategy in Halal MSMEs through an Islamic Community Development Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35335/78tymd13Keywords:
Muslim Women’s Empowerment, Halal MSMEs, Islamic Community Development (ICD), Faith-Based Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Economic DevelopmentAbstract
This study explores strategies for empowering Muslim women engaged in Halal Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the lens of Islamic Community Development (ICD). The research aims to understand how Islamic values and community-based empowerment models can promote sustainable entrepreneurship among Muslim women while upholding ethical and spiritual integrity. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and document analysis involving Muslim women entrepreneurs, community leaders, and representatives from Islamic organizations and local government. The data were analyzed thematically based on ICD principles such as ukhuwah (brotherhood/sisterhood), shura (consultation), adl (justice), and barakah (blessing). The findings reveal that women’s empowerment in the Halal MSME sector encompasses economic, social, psychological, and spiritual dimensions, all of which are interlinked through Islamic ethics and community solidarity. The ICD approach provides an effective framework for enhancing collective empowerment by integrating spiritual guidance, participatory decision-making, and equitable resource distribution. Moreover, Islamic microfinance and digital entrepreneurship emerge as key enablers that expand women’s access to capital and markets while ensuring compliance with Halal principles. Theoretically, this research contributes to the expansion of Islamic community development theory by embedding gender and entrepreneurship perspectives within it. Practically, it offers policy insights for governments and religious institutions to design inclusive programs that strengthen Muslim women’s roles in Halal business ecosystems. The study concludes that empowering Muslim women through ICD not only fosters economic independence but also cultivates social justice, moral integrity, and sustainable community welfare demonstrating that faith-based empowerment models can play a transformative role in contemporary development practices.
References
Abdullah, M. (2018). Waqf, sustainable development goals (SDGs) and maqasid al-shariah. International Journal of Social Economics, 45(1), 158–172.
Bayeh, E. (2016). The role of empowering women and achieving gender equality to the sustainable development of Ethiopia. Pacific Science Review B: Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(1), 37–42.
Borzaga, C., & Depedri, S. (2015). Multi-stakeholder governance in civil society organizations: models and outcomes. In Civil society, the third sector and social enterprise (pp. 109–121). Routledge.
Brindley, C. (2005). Barriers to women achieving their entrepreneurial potential: Women and risk. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 11(2), 144–161.
Elfakhani, S., & Ahmed, Z. U. (2013). Philosophical basis of entrepreneurship principles within an Islamic ethical framework. Journal of Transnational Management, 18(1), 52–78.
Franks, P., & Blomley, T. (2004). 5. Fitting ICD Into a Project Framework: A CARE Perspective. In Getting biodiversity projects to work (pp. 77–97). Columbia University Press.
Grine, F., Fares, D., & Meguellati, A. (2015). Islamic spirituality and entrepreneurship: A case study of women entrepreneurs in Malaysia. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 3(1), 41–56.
Kulkarni, L., & Ghosh, A. (2021). Gender disparity in the digitalization of financial services: challenges and promises for women’s financial inclusion in India. Gender, Technology and Development, 25(2), 233–250.
Luthans, F. (2002). Positive organizational behavior: Developing and managing psychological strengths. Academy of Management Perspectives, 16(1), 57–72.
Moghadam, V. M., & Senftova, L. (2005). Measuring women’s empowerment: participation and rights in civil, political, social, economic, and cultural domains. International Social Science Journal, 57(184), 389–412.
Mohd Rhouse, S. (2013). Values and identities of women entrepreneurs: A study of Muslim women of Malay ethnicity in Malaysia. University of Waikato.
Mohiuddin, M. G. (2016). Decision making style in Islam: A study of superiority of Shura (Participative Management) and examples from Early Era of Islam. Decision Making, 8(4), 79–88.
Nazirwan, M. (2015). The dynamic role and performance of Baitul Maal Wat Tamwil: Islamic community-based microfinance in Central Java. Victoria University.
Pathania, S. K. (2017). Sustainable development goal: Gender equality for women’s empowerment and human rights. International Journal of Research, 5(4), 1–15.
Puspitaningrum, R., Damanhur, D., Falahuddin, F., Hasibuan, A. F. H., & Agustin, S. (2021). The Role of Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) In Halal Industry Enhancement (Case Study of MSMEs in Lhokseumawe–Aceh). Review of Islamic Economics and Finance, 4(2), 137–154.
Ross, S. (2018). Strategies for More Inclusive Municipal Participatory Governance and Implementing Un-Habitat’s New Urban Agenda: Improving Consultation and Participation in Urban Planning Decision-Making Processes Through Rapid Ethnographic Assessment Procedures. Can. B. Rev., 96, 294.
Samier, E., & ElKaleh, E. (2021). Towards a model of Muslim Women’s management empowerment: Philosophical and historical evidence and critical approaches. Administrative Sciences, 11(2), 47.
Scheyvens, R., & van der Watt, H. (2021). Tourism, empowerment and sustainable development: A new framework for analysis. Sustainability, 13(22), 12606.
Seamon, D., & Gill, H. K. (2016). Qualitative approaches to environment–behavior research: Understanding environmental and place experiences, meanings, and actions. Research Methods for Environmental Psychology, 115–135.
Shabbir, M. S. (2021). The role of Islamic microfinance approach for community development. Journal of Economics & Management Research. SRC/JESMR/134. J Econ Managem Res, 2(2), 2–10.
SHEHU, F. M. (2018). THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOSITY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELECTED ISLAMIC MICROFINANCE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND ENTREPRENEURS’BUSINESS PERFORMANCE.
Sulaiman, A. I., Chusmeru, C., & Masrukin, M. (2018). Strategy of cooperative Islamic Boarding School as economic empowerment community. INFERENSI: Jurnal Penelitian Sosial Keagamaan, 12(1), 25–44.
Vorley, T., & Williams, N. (2017). Creating and sustaining a model of community-based enterprise learning: a participatory case study of ready hubs. In Entrepreneurship, Community, and Community Development (pp. 116–136). Routledge.
Yasin, R. F. F., Mahmud, M. W., & Diniyya, A. A. (2020). Significance of financial literacy among women entrepreneur on halal business. Journal of Halal Industry & Services, 3.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Afifah Ghaliyati, Fildzhah Fildzhah, Nabhan Nabhan, Elfarehza Elfarehza (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
