Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Oliaei stated: “When we want to resolve the challenges of gender justice, we must resolve the issue through culturology and the perspective of Iranian culture or Islamic culture regarding men and women.”

According to Contemporary Jurisprudence citing Mehr News Agency, “justice” conceptually bears the meanings of: balance and equilibrium, equality in equal conditions, differentiation in different conditions, rendering to each rightful holder their right, and placing everything in its proper place. The concept of “gender justice” signifies observing proportionality between women and men in access to all cultural, social, and economic opportunities in such a way that neither suffers oppression or injustice. Gender justice, like other categories of justice, requires principles, foundations, indicators, and diverse domains, and cannot be achieved through instrumental reason, materialism, self-interest, or even gender bias. The concept of “gender justice” seeks to define justice between women and men taking into consideration circumstances, varying talents, and the duties of women and men. The realization of justice is contingent upon taking into account circumstances and differences in the allocation of opportunities, whereas some solely advocate gender equality. Although gender justice today is utilized by competing discourses in Islamic and non-Islamic countries, it demands theoretical and analytical precision. However, the question raised in confronting this discussion is: Is gender justice a concept that should be raised within justice literature and justice-centered discourse, or is it a cultural matter? The following interview is an effort to elucidate this concept and establish serious distinctions between gender justice and what it is not. We sat down for a discussion with Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Ahmad Oliaei, PhD in Culture and Communication, Assistant Professor at Baqir al-Olum University (a), and member of the Justice Research Group at the Islamic Propagation Office of the Seminary of Qom, the text of which follows below:

What is your exposition and account of gender justice?

Gender justice is a social and cultural category that may fulfill a part of men’s rights or a part of women’s rights, or fundamentally shift this scope of rights and duties. I believe that the category of gender is a cultural category, and through a long cultural process, our perspective on gender is formed and its nature determined. I have seen many women who, with all their epistemological and non-epistemological factors, seek a social good for their gender. This group strives to achieve this social good, but because they do not reach it, they describe the current state of society as an unjust gender state.

It seems that flaws exist in many of our conceptions of gender justice, the most important of which is our cultural perception of the category of gender. Unfortunately, our discussions regarding gender are not conducted as a holistic package; as soon as we enter this discussion to present the overall set, opportunity is denied and attacks ensue. When we examine Islam’s view of gender as well, it is a cultural perspective. When you pay attention to Islam’s rituals and behavioral style, all attention, dignity, and respect are directed toward the female gender.

Is there a solution for promoting the issue of gender justice in our country and converting it into a cultural matter?

I do not consider the solution to the issue of gender justice to lie in resolving jurisprudential, legal challenges, or social movements. Rather, I see the solution to the issue as cultural. Our culture of femininity and masculinity must be strengthened within inter-gender communications in such a way that the perception of women and the perception of men regarding the category of gender improves. When this occurs, taking into account all epistemological and non-epistemological factors mentioned regarding gender, a major portion of the gender justice issue will be resolved. However, if we wish to act within the current state of gender justice, through what means should we act? Here, we raise the discussion of restorative justice.

In justice discussions, we have a concept known as restorative justice, meaning that if an individual commits theft, not only that person should be punished; rather, the chain of factors leading to this theft must be punished or reformed. Now, when we arrive at the category of gender justice, we similarly do not need criminal justice and punishment. We need a restorative justice of the perspective of men and women in the realm of gender and the responsibility of each toward one another’s rights. Unfortunately, because there are few true justice researchers in our country and the category of gender justice has not been properly elucidated, this subject remains marginalized and requires further explanation by experts and justice thinkers.