The 2nd Indonesian Women’s Ulama Congress or Kongres Ulama Perempuan Indonesia (KUPI) will be held in Semarang and Jepara, Central Java, Indonesia from November 23 – 26, 2022, co-organized by the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN Indonesia), a member of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL).

KUPI is a pioneering effort to organize women ulama (religious scholars), defined by their interpretations of Islam proclaiming gender equality as a foundational basis of Islamic teachings. KUPI serves as a collective, gathering women ulama from diverse institutions and organizations including scholars, educators, activists, and officials, to advocate for gender justice and social justice. AMAN Indonesia is a co-organizer of KUPI and aims to promote gender equality, advocate for the rights of women who have been targets of gender-based violence, and promote the role of women ulama in the prevention of violent extremism.

In 2021, ICAN published a case study, titled Heiresses to the Prophet: Women Religious Scholars Transforming Violent Extremism in Indonesia on the work, strategies and successes of KUPI and AMAN Indonesia as part of our Gender and Identity in Extremisms series. Taking a Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) approach, the case study discusses the narratives promoting and countering violent extremism and terrorism. It focuses on how the women ulama movement’s trust-based relationships, gender-sensitive Islamic perspective and consultative process enables them to deconstruct violent narratives as they pursue gender justice in Indonesia.

The 2nd KUPI conference will be attended by ICAN’s WASL Program Director, Melinda Holmes and a delegation of WASL members, including AMAN Indonesia director, Ruby Kholifah; Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development founder, Hamsatu Allamin; and Mobaderoon Syria co-founder, Abir Hajibrahim. ICAN will also host a panel discussion titled “How Women Peacebuilders Engage Religion to Advance Gender Justice and Social Peace in Muslim-Majority Contexts”, as part of the International Conference on November 23.