KUPI and the Sustainable Fatwa Movement

Female Ulama Responding to Indonesia's Environmental Crisis

Abstract

This study examines the pivotal role of female ulama in advancing the sustainable fatwa movement as a response to Indonesia's escalating environmental crisis. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study draws on document analysis of fatwas, religious declarations, and policy recommendations issued by the Indonesian Ulama Congress  (KUPI), complemented by in-depth interviews with female ulama and pesantren-based environmental activists. The analytical framework is grounded in Islamic ecotheology and gender justice, enabling an exploration of how female religious authority reframes environmental issues as ethical, spiritual, and socio-political concerns. The findings reveal that female ulama, through KUPI and community-based initiatives, have successfully articulated ecological fatwas that prohibit environmental destruction while promoting conservation and sustainable resource management. These fatwas function not only as moral guidance but also as practical frameworks for grassroots environmental action, particularly through the empowerment of women and local communities. This article argues that strengthening the authority of female ulama within Islamic religious discourse enriches environmental debates by introducing more inclusive, justice-oriented, and sustainability-focused perspectives. As key agents of change, female ulama make significant contributions to the development of contemporary Islamic thought in Indonesia while offering faith-based, transformative solutions to environmental degradation and gender inequality.