Women & Politics, Gender, &
Sexuality in the Arab World
Religious Women’s attires
Niqab—Saudi Arabia, Yemen, elsewhere
Chador—Iran & some other Shi`a communities
Hijab--Rest of MENA
Burqa--Afghanistan
Interpretations of the Veil
• Restrictive device so men can control (dominant Orientalist notion)
• Indicative of class, age, ethnicity, or region (Yemen reading)
• Veil as a tool of control by the state to advertise power of their belief systems
(Tunisia bans it, Kuwait 10/09 banned it… being challenged)
• Expression of opposition to reduce the leverage of the occupier (ex: Algeria)
• Protection from harassment and interference by others. Statement not to be
objectified. No object for consumerism.
• Statement of identity, especially where Muslims are minority
• Social empowerment – control over oneself. Choice.
Patriarchy
• a system that privileges males and elders and justifies
this privilege in kinship terms. This gives males legal
and economic power over family members.
• Extension of male dominance over women in society
in general.
• Represents a gender and age hierarchy based on the
household as a productive unit, has been seriously
challenged in recent decades by social transformations
Patriarchal system
• Public:
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Public office
Court testimony
Dress codes
Segregated work spaces
Legal limitations on movement
• Private:
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Child custody
Divorce/marriage laws
Honor killings
Freedom of movement & employment
• Factors that erode foundations of patriarchy
How are women involved in
political processes in MENA?
 Fighters supporting national liberation or
revolutionary movements
 Women’s branches of political parties
 Members of political parties & groups
 Women’s organizations created in the state
institutions
 Participation in independent organizations
(charitable societies & NGOs)
Islamic and Secular Feminisms
• Key Question: what are the best approaches to bring
about policies of equal rights for women in Islamic states
and other Muslim communities?
•The Activist’s Paradox (apologetic/complacent vs. Arab-bashing)
• Islamic Feminism:
– Movement aimed at equal rights and legal protection of women
rooted in Islamic discourse
• Emphasize teachings of equality in Qu’ran, Hadith
– Engagement with Islam is necessary in societies where many
laws on personal status are based on religion (shari’a)
– Increasing visibility in mass media
• Secular Feminism:
– Authentic as indigenous, but often seen as imposed
– Some conflict w/ Islamic feminism
• Claim of Superiority – “culture of misery” rejects Agency
• “Excessive covering” vs. Material Exploitation
• Ex: NOW during Gulf War
Readings Discussion on
Sexuality
• Asad AbuKhalil
• Characteristics of Present-day sexism
•Persistence of Male dominance
•Women missing from public space
•Tolerance of homosexuality
• Bruce Dunne “sexuality in political culture”
• Dialmy – Contradictions and contraception
• Suad Joseph – the nation-state and Gender
• Pre-colonial and post-colonial
• Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft
The MENA region