The Neglected Strategy of Women Economic Empowerment: Economic Advantages of The Hijab Experiences from Female Undergraduate Students in Tanzania

Abstract

This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the economic advantages of wearing the Hijab among the Muslim and non-Muslim female undergraduate students at the Muslim University of Morogoro (MUM) , Tanzania. Three Muslim and three non-Muslim students of different ages, years of study and programmes from MUM were randomly selected as respondents. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect primary data while secondary data sources included the relevant documents such as official documents, journal articles and proceedings. The interviews were transcribed, coded, classified and then analyzed. The content analysis method was used for analyzing the documents. The findings of this study revealed that wearing of the Hijab to a large extent is an effective strategy for empowering women not only socially but also economically. The study, therefore, recommends that further exploration be carried out to further explore the economic advantages of wearing the Hijab among female undergraduate students in Tanzania, particularly through quantitative-based research.