Does An İmam Need To Make İntention Separately For The Women Who Follow Him?

Does an imam need to make intention separately for the women who follow him? May a woman come afterwards and follow a man as her imam who is establishing prayer alone?

According to Hanafis, an imam needs to make intention for leading the prayer of women for the validity of women’s following him (Kasani, Bada’i, I, 128; Ibn al-Humam, Fath, I, 372). However, the general intention made by imam for imamah includes women, too. But a woman cannot come afterwards and follow a man who is establishing prayer alone.

According to the Shafi’i school, imam’s intending for establishing prayer with men or women is not obligatory but mustahab (Shirbini, Mughni al-muhtaj, I, 383). Therefore, a woman may come afterwards and follow a man who is establishing prayer alone.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWAS