The Ruling on the Mixing of Women and Men in Public Places

Question:
Recently—and the questions are still from our brother from Sudan—he says: Recently, the phenomenon of women’s departments has appeared in our Muslim society in some institutions and services, and even in ministries, under which many men work who are obligated to obey, and who must swallow their pride to carry out orders reluctantly for the sake of the job to secure their livelihood. How does all of this align with the lenient Shari'ah, which states that [Al-Nisa:34]?

Answer:
This has been pointed out more than once on the radio and television. It is obligatory for women to be in women’s work, and for men to be in men’s work, and that men not appear in women’s places; such as a gynecologist and a female nurse, or the like. Rather, the doctor should be for men and the female doctor for women, the male nurse for men, and the female nurse for women. This is what is obligatory. Likewise, the female teacher is for girls, and the male teacher is for men. Each has what is suitable for them to ward off fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and to protect society from the causes of corruption.
Therefore, men should not take charge of teaching women, and women should not take charge of teaching boys. Rather, it is obligatory that the school be for girls, and the teacher be for males; to cut off the matter of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). And so it is in the offices; it is obligatory that the offices be for men, if the office is for men, and also that there be offices for women, such as women’s schools, and the like of what involves women’s work.
And women’s hospitals should have women in them. Each group should have what is suitable for them. The men’s section should have male employees to the extent of need, and the women’s section should have female employees for them. This is what is obligatory to block the door of evil and to cut off the causes of corruption.
There is no objection to making an exception for some cases of dire necessity, such as a specialist doctor treating a woman when no female doctor is available to treat her, or a specialist female doctor treating a man with a disease for which no one in the country or in the hospital is available to treat him. These are necessities; with modesty, and with distance from the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and with distance from seclusion. This is obligatory when there is need to adhere to these restrictions and to be cautious of the causes of evil. So the female doctor who is needed to treat a man should not engage in the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and should not be alone with the patient. And so the man, if he wants to treat a woman, should be like this in case of necessity, and without seclusion. And she likewise should not engage in the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Otherwise, the original rule is what was mentioned: the original rule is that men be for men and women be for women; in education, in offices, and in everything; to cut off the causes of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). And Allah is the One to be asked for help. Yes.