Transnational Women's Movements and Networking

The article addresses the potential of transnational advocacy networks for the diffusion of norms such as "equality in the family" on a national as well as international basis. Taking the network Musawah for Equality in the Family as a case in point, it shows how transnational networking with a focus on one particular issue can take place, and how significant the national and local context is for the formulation of strategies and on-the-ground struggle for reform. It traces the importance that family laws based on Islamic sources have gained for a "national Islamic identity" during the course of history, which in turn explains why this issue is such a contested arena in politics and society. The article concludes with an appreciation of transnational advocacy work, while simultaneously stressing the significance of the national and local context. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright holder.]