Separating between men and women when holding competitions for the well-versed in memorizing the Glorious Qur'an

Q: We wish for Your Eminence to answer the following questions, may Allah reward you with the best. Dar Al-Ifta' (House of Fatwa) in the Philippines, headed by Shaykh Mukhtar `Abid, (Part No. 11; Page No. 195) Deputy of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia, organizes an annual competition for reciting the Glorious Qur'an on several levels (levels that are held for every municipality, every governorate, and every province) where several contestants are invited from both men and women. The referees are always men. The audience listens attentively to the recitations of both men and women. The question is: What is the ruling on such competitions? We wish for Your Eminence to answer this question in detail, giving evidence from the Glorious Qur'an and Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) because Shaykh Mukhtar `Abid said that this competition is permissible for both men and women on the pretext that it encourages Muslims to study the Qur'an, whether reciting or memorizing.I wish for Your Eminence to send one copy of your answer to the second address of the mentioned Mufty of Philippines. May Allah reward you with the best.

A: Holding competitions for helping people to memorize the Glorious Qur'an is a good work since it encourages people to study the Qur'an and memorize it, but women should be separated from men and should also be heard by women who best memorize the Qur'an to block means of temptation.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.