Conducted by researcher Razak Khan, this project investigates diverse feminist and queer approaches to law and democratic change in the field of Muslim personal law, focusing on the work of two Muslim women’s rights groups: the Muslim Women’s Forum in Delhi and the Bebaak Collective in Mumbai. The distinct locations and political orientations of these groups provide insight into the complexity and shifting dynamics of contemporary debates on family law, and on religious and sexual minorities in India.

The project brings together discussions on the reform of religious family law and the evolving nature of democracy in South Asia. It centers on Muslim women in India and their efforts to engage with, appropriate, critique, and transform Muslim personal law. Moving beyond state-centric discourses such as the Uniform Civil Code, the project highlights the varied meanings and uses of Muslim personal law.

By broadening the scope of inquiry, the project extends debates on law and democracy beyond issues concerning married Muslim women and child-maintenance rights, encompassing instead the rights of single or unmarried lesbian, gay, and trans children and their negotiations with family, law, and democratic institutions. In doing so, the project illuminates the interconnected histories of religious and sexual minorities in India today.