Wearing Meaning

Hijab, Critical Knowledge, and Gendered Responsibility

Abstract

This instrumental case study explores how a sixteen-year-old American Muslim girl of Indian descent negotiates the layered meanings of hijab across educational and religious spaces. Drawing on feminist and postcolonial frameworks, the study examines how hijab becomes a site of religious devotion, embodied identity, and negotiated responsibility. Based on interviews, observations, and thematic analysis, the paper highlights four themes: evolving meanings of hijab, dual responsibility of confronting gender inequality and religious bigotry, responsibility to educate others about Islam, and enabling roles of Qur’anic knowledge and women-only spaces. The findings reveal how critical religious literacy and supportive educational contexts empower Muslim girls.