As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, a Muslim woman is allowed to pray in an open space and it is permissible for the sisters to pray without a barrier. It should be clear that Almighty Allah did not prescribe segregation of males from females in the Qur’an; He only forbade indiscriminate mingling and mixing and khalwah. The woman is required to wear decent clothes that cover her `awrah (Arabic for: parts of the body that must be covered) and at the same time men are required to lower their gaze.

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, stated: It is important for us to know that during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), men and women used to pray in the same hall without any barriers. This is amply clear from the sources. Thus, women were able to see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and they were able to learn the lessons he imparted from the minbar (Arabic for: pulpit) directly from his mouth. How often we read in the sources women saying that they learned such and such surah (Arabic for: chapter of the Qur’an) directly from the mouth of the Prophet, as he was used to reading them during sermons.
Hence, it is only reasonable to state that the barrier separating men and women at mosques today is a later-on innovation; therefore, there is nothing sacred about it.

It is important in this connection to point out that women have every right to see the speaker and imam while delivering the khutbah (Arabic for: sermon).
that the women during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were assertive in this is also clear from the sources. For the very idea of setting up a minbar for the Prophet to deliver the khutbah was suggested by a woman. She pointed out to him that she had a carpenter who could carve some wooden steps; if he were to stand on them while delivering sermons, everyone would be able to see him.
Therefore, the right of women to see and hear the speaker directly is a legitimate one. Women can pray in the open space without a barrier separating men and women.