Sisters in STEM: The Empowerment of Muslim Women in Education Through Participatory Action Research

• In Event: Equity and Empowerment in Neoliberal Society

Abstract

Research indicates that Muslim women in the global East actively pursue STEM fields, which sharply contrasts the Western, colonial portrayal of these women as oppressed. As Muslim women studying STEM in a Western country, we combat this narrative by amplifying the voices of our fellow sisters through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project. We formed a research team and embarked on an intensive fifteen-week research journey, leading to the development of a study examining the intersection of identities related to faith, STEM, and gender. In this proposal, we want to present this PAR team as it is, and how our motives are not a deterrent, but rather significant to the credibility of our research.

Authors

• Vivian Zohery, University of Maryland

• Shafa Alam, University of Maryland

• Yusra Hussein

• Mariam Khan, University of Maryland

• Nusrat Meetul, University of Maryland