New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) As the country talked about women's empowerment and celebrated International Women's Day Tuesday, representatives from minority bodies and national commission for women said that not much has been done to change the social space for Muslim women in the country.

"There has always been a cocooned domain for Muslim women in India. I think firstly this approach needs to change to integrate them with the other women of the society," Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, member, planning commission and also the founder of Muslim Women's Forum, told IANS.

Speaking here at a two-day seminar on the state of Muslim women, Hameed said the planning commission heads were trying to improve the state of education of Muslim women.

"Planners are also recommending filling the gaps that women development policies are facing. We are trying to ensure that we focus on education of Muslim women in the 12th plan," she said.

Wajahat Habibullah, chairman of national commission for minorities, said: "Stereotyping is the main problem that the development process for Muslim women faces. It is time we change our idea about the community and look beyond the stereotypes that we have created about them."