The ruling on a woman leading women in the prayer of the festival

Question:
In past years, the women from the villages around us would gather and perform the two festival prayers in the most complete manner. A woman well-versed in jurisprudence would lead the women in prayer, praise be to Allah. The reason for their gathering is that the festival prayer ground for men is far away, about a two-hour walk on foot, and because the men do not allow them to go there. What is the ruling on what those women did, and is it a religious innovation?

Answer:
I am not aware of any blame in that; because the festival prayer is prescribed for both men and women, and the Sunnah is to go out for it in the open fields. If it is not feasible for the women to go out so that they can pray with the men, they should pray in their homes, individually or in groups, and there is no blame in that. They have a great reward for doing so.