The intersection of religion, food, and gender remains underexplored within Religious Studies, largely due to the discipline’s historical male dominance and the marginalization of diverse religious communities. However, envisioning abundant research in this field offers the potential to reshape traditional gender roles and foster greater equality within religious contexts.
In Muslim communities, women often play central roles in food preparation and ritual practices. For instance, within the Tablighi Jama‘at—a lay Islamic movement focusing on religious devotion—women are tasked with preparing elaborate meals during Ramadan, despite sermons urging them to prioritize prayer over kitchen duties. This paradox highlights a power dynamic where women’s religious identity is tied to food practices yet criticized through male-dominated religious rhetoric.
Darakhshan Khan’s fieldwork in the Tablighi Jama‘at shows that food is both a means of connection and control. Women’s domestic spaces become sites of social engagement, but food preparation is framed as indulgence in bodily desires. Examining how such ideologies reinforce gender roles exposes how patriarchal constructs have shaped Islamic norms around food and women’s religious identities.
Julia Hauser’s research in the Ottoman context further illustrates how societal changes—such as adopting single-function kitchens—reinforced gendered divisions. By the late 19th century, Muslim women became central to domestic life, with religious rhetoric linking kitchen mastery to spiritual and familial well-being. These roles, once fluid, became fixed identities tied to food preparation and gender expectations.
Parna Sengupta’s analysis underscores the need for recognizing food-centered rituals as religious knowledge. Viewing women’s culinary practices as expressions of piety can elevate their contributions to religious life. Yet, patriarchal religious authorities often define women’s religious worth through their adherence to food norms, a construct absent from early Islamic teachings.
Researching these dynamics can illuminate the mechanisms by which women’s roles in religious communities are shaped, constrained, and potentially subverted. It also fosters cross-religious dialogue by highlighting shared experiences of gendered food practices. Raising awareness of these patterns—within both academic and public spheres—can empower marginalized women and inspire social change within religious contexts.
In conclusion, the study of food, gender, and religion reveals how women navigate religious expectations through food-related practices, often finding agency within restrictive frameworks. Expanding scholarship in this domain can challenge patriarchal norms, elevate women’s contributions, and foster a more equitable understanding of religious identity.
Scholarship on food, gender, and religion remains marked by historical male dominance and the marginalization of women’s practices. In communities like the Tablighi Jama‘at, women’s culinary roles are framed as religious obligations, often limiting their spiritual engagement. Sermons discourage excessive time spent on cooking, yet these same roles are enforced as pious behavior. Ottoman-era reforms tied women’s identity to kitchen work, further solidifying their domestic roles. Scholars like Darakhshan Khan and Parna Sengupta reveal how food-related rituals, often overseen by male authority, are central to religious women’s lives. Yet, these practices are rarely recognized as legitimate religious knowledge. Broader scholarship could illuminate the power dynamics that confine women to food-centered roles and empower them within their traditions. By bridging religious, gendered, and culinary intersections, such research could foster mutual understanding and pave the way for greater gender equality within religious communities.