Women in faith-based educational institutions are transforming the world and communities they serve. These women are changing the view and importance of female religious leadership, especially in adult religious educational institutions. The importance of women in religious institutions is paramount to the success of those institutions. However, women have often been displaced in religious communities and scholars have only showcased a small percentage of standout women in religious leadership. Important questions emerge when looking into this topic, such as: What was/is the role of female religious educational leadership and how do these women negotiate the world of adult religious education? How does adult religious education fit into the greater scope of transformative learning and adult education? How does the work of these women potentially help to transform social and gender norms for future generations of women? What actions are taken to move religious groups toward gender equality? And finally, is it working? Since scholars have decided to separate religious and spiritual scholarship and research, they have left a void, which needs to be filled. These overlooked women may provide much needed information on adult and community education, gender roles, as well as female leadership in religion.

Presenters: