Women’s Leadership in Islamic Boarding Schools: A Comparative Study of Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam

Women’s Leadership in Islamic Boarding Schools: A Comparative Study of Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam Nizma Armila1 Universitas Islam Bunga Bangsa Cirebon, Indonesia1  Corresponding Email: Received: 2023-06-05; Accepted: 2023-10-24; Published: 2023-10-28 ABSTRACT It is common knowledge that men are the leaders of women, but Islam also encourages gender equality in education, which can be seen in the prophetic direction and the lives of salaf scholars, where at that time many female scholars emerged. Even so, religious boundaries must still be considered where in teaching and learning practice there can be no ikhtilat or mixing between men and women, therefore in the field of Islamic education, especially pesantren, it becomes a need for pesantren which only consists of women to the top. . In recent years, there has been a growing interest in women's leadership in these schools, as many Muslim women are seeking to become religious leaders.This comparative study aims to examine women's leadership in Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam. The purpose of our study was to analyze the different leadership roles of women in Islamic boarding schools in these three countries. We use a qualitative approach combined with literature studies with interviews as a data collection technique. In addition, we used thematic comparative analysis to analyze the data collected from the interviews. The results are; in Indonesia, women often serve as heads of pesantren, focusing on collaborative, community-oriented leadership emphasizing service and mutual support. Conversely, female leadership in Malaysian Islamic schools is relatively rare, characterized by hierarchical structures and strict rule enforcement. Brunei Darussalam displays limited female leadership, with some exceptions following a conservative, values-centered approach. The study underscores the influence of cultural, social, and religious factors on women's leadership styles in Islamic educational institutions. The research highlights the need for further exploration of these dynamics, enabling the development of policies and practices that foster inclusive leadership environments within the context of Islamic teachings. At the end of this article will be presented in the form of a table about a comparison conclusion between Islamic Boarding School and Women Leadership in these specified countries for better understanding.. Keywords: Women Leadership; Boarding School; Indonesia; Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam. Copyright © Author How to Cite : This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License Eduprof : Islamic Education Journal Volume 5 Number 2, Oktober 2023 | P-ISSN : 2723-2034 | E-ISSN: 2723-2034 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47453/eduprof.v5i2.210 2 | Women’s Leadership in Islamic Boarding Schools: A Comparative Study of Islamic Boarding Schools in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam (1-14) Available at: https://iaibbc.e-journal.id/xx/article/view/210 INTRODUCTION Men and women have equal rights in education. Where education is an important transformation tool from the beginning of knowledge to building awareness. 1 By getting an education, a person goes through the process of gaining knowledge, abilities and self-developed skills, up to a change in attitude. In the context of education for women, for them education can be an important key step towards a better life.2 The word education is etymologically Greek ducare, whose meaning is the same as the word “lead, direct, lead”, where the letter e means “out”. Which can then be interpreted as leading out. Education in Arabic is known as tarbiyah, which comes from the word raba-yarbu ( ‫يربو‬-‫) ربا‬, which means according to which it grows or expands. Until now, patriarchal culture, is the most widely adopted culture by most of the world's population, which forms the perception that the roles of men and women must be differentiated in social life. Men hold a leading role in society because they are considered more powerful, potential and productive. While women who have reproductive organs, considered weaker, less potential and unproductive.3 Issues that are often highlighted by the West to Islamic education, namely about the equality of men and women as well as how the contribution of women in Islamic education itself. According to the West, most of the teachings of Islam are considered too biased towards men and emphasize their masculinity. 4 The Islamic text of Revelation states that women are equal to men. Previously, people in Asia and Europe discriminated against women. Many discriminatory practices start from the pagan religion they profess. People began to see gender consciousness after their religion was changed by Islam. A number of female scholars were born during this period because Muslims fought for their rights for a long time. 5 And if given space on the portion, then women can also lead as well as men. Because, the existence of women leaders is needed in certain fields, for example in communities that contain women only, of course we are more comfortable being led by a woman as well, although maybe behind women leaders, there is a role of men who can help or guide leadership. In most countries of the world, there is a special concern about how to increase the number of women leaders in all sectors and industries. Therefore, it is considered necessary for women to take positions of leadership roles accompanied by higher education. 6 Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, are a significant part of the Islamic education system, it has a long history and a prominent role in Islamic education in Southeast Asia. in Southeast Asia. They are schools that offer both religious and secular education to students, with a focus on Islamic teachings and practices. In this comparative study, we will examine the similarities and differences between Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam have their own unique Islamic boarding school systems that have developed over time, reflecting the respective countries' religious and cultural contexts. This article uses Literature Studies. There are many references to women's leadership in Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia, while there are very few of references to women's leadership in Islamic Dwi Ratnasari, ‘Pemberdayaan Perempuan Dalam Pendidikan Pesantren’, ’Anil Islam: Jurnal Kebudayaan Dan Ilmu Keislaman, 9.1 (2016), 122–47 <http://jurnal.instika.ac.id/index.php/AnilIslam/article/view/11>. 2 Dian Ardiyani, ‘Konsep Pendidikan Perempuan Siti Walidah’, Tajdida, 15.1 (2017). 3 Zainal Abidin, ‘Kesetaraan Gender Dan Emansipasi Perempuan Dalam Pendidikan Islam’, Tarbawiyah Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan, 12.01 (2017), 1–17. 4 Dewi Ratnawati, Sulistyorini, and Ahmad Zainal Abidin, ‘Kesetaraan Gender Tentang Pendidikan Laki-La (...truncated)