Gender, Caregiving, and Inheritance Injustice: An Empirical Study of Feminized Parenting Burden in Muslim Families in Lampung, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51278/bil.v3i1.2674Keywords:
Gender, Caregiving, Islamic Inheritance Law, Gender Justice, Mubādalah, Unpaid Care WorkAbstract
The practice of parenting for elderly parents in Indonesian Muslim families is fraught with gender bias, but its relationship with the injustice of inheritance distribution has not been empirically studied. This study examines how the feminization of caregiving results in substantive injustices in inheritance and offers a framework for mubādalah as a solution based on Islamic law. Qualitative research with a socio-legal approach was conducted on 32 Muslim families in Lampung Province through in-depth interviews, observations, and analysis of religious court decisions. The data were analyzed thematically by triangulating Rawls' theory of justice, maqāṣid al-syarī'ah, and mubādalah. Caregiving is highly feminized (91% of female caregivers). Female caregivers sacrifice an average of 34% of their income, 62% of which is reduced/quit their jobs. In the application of pure faraidh, the female caregiver receives only 37% of the brother's share. Patrilineal customary law and religious court rulings ignore the contribution of caregiving as a redistributive consideration. Gender injustice in inheritance does not originate from the text of the Qur'an, but rather from a social construct that imposes care work on women while maintaining male privilege. The recognition of caregiving through grants, wills, and takhāruj is an ethical imperative within the framework of maqāṣid and mubādalah.
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