Thesis (BA Communication and Media Arts) University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2023

Muslim women often encounter struggles inside and outside their homes, especially in environments they are not accustomed to - in non-Muslim spaces. The study recognizes existing literature about the struggles of Muslim women in general, but this production research is aimed at discussing these struggles among Muslim women in non-Muslim communities. Furthermore, an online talk show platform will assess how such a platform will help relay the challenges of Muslim women to people. Thus, the student-researcher invited 4 Muslim women guests from different demographics (i.e., a student, employee, leader, and housewife) and a male Islamic studies expert. Inviting a male guest was considered to compare and contrast the perspectives between Muslim men and women. Additionally, the guests are from non-Muslim communities in Mindanao. After a month of production, the study revealed that while there are no evident stigmatizations of Muslim women, there are still challenges in trying to fit into non-Muslim spaces because their practices and identities are not fully recognized. These can be seen in the lack of prayer rooms and ablution area in non-Muslim environments, the unavailability of Halal food, and not being able to thoroughly comply with Islamic practices due to schedules that do not consider Muslims' perspectives. These narratives were addressed by the ON-Live Talks platform. The platform aims to raise awareness about the issues they face so we can start being inclusive and avoid marginalizing minorities.