ABSTRACT
Gender is at the heart of religion and politics, yet marginalized within religion and politics as separate academic fields as well as within studies that bring these two fields together. This chapter highlights the stable and shifting relationships between religion, politics and gender, and focuses on the relationship between religion, politics and gender at global, national and local levels. It addresses the issues of religion, secularization and gender politics; multiculturalism, feminism and religion; and women and religious activism. The chapter demonstrates that the religious politics of gender is significant all over the world, from global to national to local contexts. As religious pluralism increases, governmental institutions need to engage even more in debates about religious diversity, religious freedom and sexual and gender equality. The chapter shows that the relationship between religion, politics and gender is not uniform and static, but variable, negotiated, challenged and contested.
