One well-studied example is the history of Islam in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. By many measures, medieval Islamic societies were more gender equal than the Arab world today. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija—famously his most beloved—was older than him, twice widowed, already had children, and was a widely respected businesswoman when he met her.[*54] In the twelfth century, the Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd (Averroes) wrote that women should be considered equal to men in all respects, including education and opportunities for employment.
