ABSTRACT
The right of women to 'control their bodies' has different meanings representing various standpoints and explains a field rich in theoretical discussion, philosophical argumentation, and religious writings in almost all cultures; the debate has been particularly explicit in the Western world. Studies by some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the Family Planning Unit of the Health Ministry show that it is imperative to include sexual education in family planning programs if they are to reach fertility-rate goals and create effective services for reproductive health. In the Islamic context, there is a tension between the egalitarian view, in which believers are judged solely according to merit, and the inegalitarian elements that clearly define different roles for women and men. Sexual feelings and ethics, the language and cultural representations of sexuality, and the concepts of intimacy, control of the body, and autonomy for both genders are dangerously absent.
