All in the Family

There is a consensus that women in Islamic societies have suffered extensive sex discrimination despite religious rhetoric that they are the perfect embodiment of Muslim originality and central to the social and moral order of Islamic society. ¹ Are there similar gender inequalities among Uyghur Muslims in China? Is religious affiliation related to gender inequalities among Uyghurs? How does Islamic affiliation affect Uyghur women’s status at home and in society? The Ürümchi study was conducted to address these questions, and as such it helps narrow a knowledge gap in the literature on ethnic minorities in China, i.e. how religious affiliation affects gendered behaviour and outcomes. This is an important task given the role of religion in social relations among ethnic minorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).