How does Islamic finance view issues of gender?
There is a misconception that Islamic finance is somehow disadvantageous or inaccessible to women. Nothing could be further from the truth. Islam recognized women’s independent property rights centuries before other legal systems. Women are encouraged to save, invest, and improve their condition just like men and are also able to access the products described above. How is the Islamic finance industry developing? Islamic finance has become popular in many countries, especially in the Arab world, with over 300 institutions offering Islamic banking. Since 2005, more than half of total banking assets in Saudi Arabia have been Shariah-compliant. Other Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait also have Islamic assets projected to grow to about one-third of all banking assets soon. Malaysia is another important market for Islamic finance, and regulators are introducing laws to facilitate growth of the industry. In addition, HSBC Amanah introduced Islamic instruments