1 - Introduction

Summary

The chapter introduces the topic of the feminization of the Diyanet within the context of Turkish secularism. It disrupts and breaks down the conceptualizations that are mainly associated with the decision to establish new offices for women within the Diyanet. It provides a conceptual and epistemic toolbox that allows for the gendering of the religious–secular divide. Four hypotheses are then presented and critically examined: The first relates the Diyanet’s decision to employ an increasing number of women to the debate on Islamic feminism. The second deals with devout women’s access within the Diyanet bureaucracy, pointing out their engagement within Islamist movements in the 1990s. The third relates the increase in Diyanet’s female personnel to the evolution of the Turkish state’s monopoly over religion. The fourth focuses on the state-sponsored moral support directed toward women and families within the frame of a redefinition of religious services. Finally, the chapter illustrates the methodology of the work, stressing the importance of ethnographic observations to include a perspective from within on public policies.