Women in the Middle East

Alexandra Basha, intern at UNRIC UK & Ireland desk in Brussels

Can you imagine your spouse having legal authority over you, or not being allowed to have an active voice in the political process of your country? This type of discrimination against women is still apparent in societies across the Middle East today (e.g. Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia). Change to the status of women is long overdue and urgent action needs to take place towards gender equality.

Discrimination in laws and social customs will not improve by tomorrow; no quick solution exists. Gender-based obstacles stem from tradition. Throughout Arab history women have not enjoyed equal rights as citizens and have been discriminated against across every institution of society: law, economy, education, criminal justice system, etc. Despite guarantees of equal rights written in the Constitution or national legislation, enforcement of these guarantees by state authorities does not always occur. Some of the limitations are based on religious beliefs, but for the most part are cultural and originate from tradition and not religious practice.

The status of women is affected by recent national, regional, and global events (e.g. the “war on terror” and foreign occupation in Palestine). These are the strongest inhibitors to progress because basic rights continue to be violated. With continued militarization in the Middle East and the rise in conservatism, reform will be put on hold for women. Politicization of Islam is another major contributor to the setback of women’s rights. In the conservative countries in the Middle East that implement Shari’a law, women are greatly affected by the combination of religion and state.

Due to the perseverance of women’s rights groups, improvements have been made, but there is still much to be done. For example, the women’s movement in Turkey has successfully brought reform to the Civil Code in 2001, which now recognizes the equality of women, and men in all matters related to marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance and property. More recently, following the Mousavi-Rahnavard presidential race in Iran, women’s rights, were for the first time since the revolution, frequently discussed on national Iranian television, newspapers and online. With women comprising 65 percent of universities in Iran, it will become increasingly difficult to marginalize them. Women are becoming more vocal and involved over time, which gives the movement hope for change.

Change is difficult though in regions where women have been treated for centuries in the same way; deep-rooted traditions are always hard to break. It will take time, and balancing with long-term traditions will need to be reached especially with the religious leaders and thinkers in these countries. Lack of information about women’s rights, leadership and global achievements inhibit any progress on women’s issues; therefore, women need access to information and need to be educated on matters that directly affect them. Women’s rights campaigners must not give up; the fight on local and global levels must continue and they must continue to push for women’s equal participation in social, economic and political life. ■

Photo: A 106-year old woman sits in front of her house guarding it with a rifle, in the village of Degh, Armenia, near the border of Azerbaijan (UN Photo/Armineh Johannes).