The position of women in the contemporary Middle East has changed significantly since the turn of the 20th century.
Middle Eastern countries do have feminist organizations, although they are frequently quite small and do always not have as great an impact on politics as they deserve.
International human rights legislation prohibits discrimination against women. Contrast men’s and women’s enjoyment of rights. Despite the fact that eradicating discrimination is crucial to realizing women’s rights, men too often ignore women’s rights issues and instead merely address the broad picture, more universally focusing on international human rights standards. In so much as they are legally acknowledged through the development of human rights treaties, women’s rights are considered a subset of the universal and are expressed as “protective” measures rather than human rights.
Many individuals will mention the Middle East as being more behind in the struggle for women’s rights and equality than other regions of the world. However, even though the battle for equality in the area is far from over, several advancements have been made thanks to actions and legislation that better safeguard women.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that hundreds of individuals are currently fighting to expand their rights, most of the world appears to have forgotten about these advancements and still views the region as being backward. It’s more crucial than ever to emphasise the advancements achieved for women’s rights in the Middle East and to show that such difficult work was completed by many dedicated and courageous women. Misconceptions about the region are rife.
Most international evaluations still place the Middle East among the regions where women’s social, legal, and economic standings are the poorest. However, there are bright spots that offer optimism among these backward steps.
It is not surprising that the bravery of demonstrators in Afghanistan, Turkey, or Iran who were fighting for fundamental rights has gone unnoticed in a world that is understandably preoccupied with the conflict in Ukraine. But just as Ukraine has come to represent the protection of global democratic norms, we should look to the Middle Eastern activists and the advancements there as a sign of hope for expanding the rights of women across the world.
The ecstatic peaks for female equality in 2022 featured a blossoming of unity from Mexico to Iran to Ukraine. Feminist foreign policies were embraced by a rising number of administrations. In the United States, women were elected in unprecedented numbers to state legislatures, Congress, and governorships, and Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The global reversal of women’s and girls’ rights via strong criticism and apathetic enforcement marked the low point. In actuality, women and girls still only enjoy 75% of the legal rights that men and boys do. The COVID-19 epidemic shed light on the gendered aspects of inequality, but that light has now dimmed, leaving us to deal with the enduring causes and effects of gender inequity.
Take a look at some of the countries that have progressed yet aren’t up to the optimum actualization in the world of women’s rights.
Women’s Rights in Tunisia
Although Tunisia has made strides towards gender equality, the glass ceiling remains in place. Tunisia, in the MENA region, has progressive gender equality laws like the Personal Status Code (1956) and subsequent reforms. However, despite these celebrated rights, there is still a gender imbalance and a glass ceiling preventing women from attaining power and representation. The recent legislative elections resulted in a male-dominated parliament with only 25 women out of 161 members, indicating the fragility of women’s achievements and the threat posed by the conservative approach to gender equality.
Women’s Rights in Lebanon
Women in Lebanon suffer as a result of the nation’s failing economy. Lebanon’s deepening crisis, particularly the economic meltdown, disproportionately affects women. Even before the compounded crises, existing laws protecting women’s rights were inadequate. Some still prioritize other issues over women’s rights, as demonstrated by a public statement from a minister in the current caretaker government. This should concern all reformists, not just women’s rights advocates. Those who uphold the status quo and maintain clientelism and societal inequalities are attacking the nation under the guise of protecting “confessional representation.” Lebanon needs new leaders who value democracy, accountability, and equality. This is a call for women in Lebanon to step forward, fill the void, and guide the nation towards equality for all.
Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia
Economic objectives help Saudi women adapt more quickly in Saudi Arabia; “Vision 2030” reforms are driving social and economic progress for women. Female employment is a key aspect of post-oil diversification. The kingdom has granted more freedoms and opportunities to its female citizens, such as allowing Saudi women over 21 to travel abroad and obtain passports without male guardian permission. However, these concessions are top-down, and many activists remain imprisoned. The media highlights new female role models, like women serving in the armed forces and driving trains, as part of a “charm offensive” to appeal to Western public opinion. Female ambassadors, like Haifa Al-Jedea, have been appointed, promoting inclusion. This inclusion helps rally support for reforms among young Saudis in major urban centers like Riyadh, but the response in more conservative and peripheral regions is uncertain.
Women’s Rights in Iran
Iranian women struggle economically, yet society now supports them in their demonstrations. In Iran, women have long faced layered discrimination rooted in societal patriarchy. Post-revolution, state-sponsored discrimination exacerbated the situation. Despite this, Iranian women’s resilience has led to high numbers of female university graduates in the MENA region. However, higher education hasn’t translated into significant female participation in the labor force, with only one in five Iranian women accessing employment opportunities. Iran lags behind countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt in this regard. Gender-based violence, discriminatory laws, and a patriarchal society reinforce the image of submissive women reliant on male family members. This fuels resentment among Iranian women, although Iranian men have become more aware and supportive of women’s rights. The recent unrest triggered by the killing of a young Iranian woman united both men and women, serving as a turning point in nationwide protests. Yet, the state’s lack of response leaves the potential for further protests, with Iranian women playing a significant role, quite high.
Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks as the last place in the world to be born as woman, according to the Women Peace and Security Index (WPS Index). Despite facing severe risks like lashes, stoning, arrest, and torture, Afghan women have been protesting since the Taliban’s return to power on August 15, 2021, following the Doha agreements signed by the US administration under Donald Trump. During the period of international occupation from 2001 to 2018, the number of women with higher education increased significantly, and one in three young women enrolled in university. However, on December 20, the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan violated the promises made in Doha and banned women from enrolling in universities, affecting over 100,000 female students. Since the Taliban’s return, the percentage of women over 15 who feel safe in their communities has dropped from 35.5 percent to 9.8 percent. Despite these challenges, Afghan girls continue to protest in the squares of Kabul and Nangahar, even at the risk of their lives. The image pictured above is of an Afghan girl’s primary school.
Can Western Countries Impact Women’s Rights?
It is essential for international understanding and collaboration that the West acknowledges the overwhelming regional support for modernisation at the popular level. There are numerous obstacles to overcome in order to make these principles and public support a reality. Western diplomacy can make a difference in this situation. For instance, despite an increase in female employment, the Middle East continues to have the lowest female participation rate worldwide.
Public opinion places “inequities in family and home responsibilities” above other barriers like “lack of education” or “religious beliefs” as the biggest impediment to women’s employment in government and business. In addition to any other difficulties women may have, they must deal with the lack of cheap, high-quality childcare options. It is noteworthy that this issue is very analogous to institutional obstacles that Western women confront such insufficient childcare options.
This is a great illustration of a situation where there is potential for both internal change and outside assistance; regional governments could encourage women to enter the workforce by working to make childcare options available throughout the area. Such suggestions should be supported by Western politicians and policymakers as well, both in the area and elsewhere. When it comes to these kinds of reforms, Western countries should demonstrate their support for changes in a stance against the regressive forces at work in the area and acknowledge government modernization efforts when they take place.
According to this year’s gender gap report from the World Economic Forum, encouragingly, the gender gap in health and survival has closed by 96% throughout the 146 nations included in the 2023 index, as has the gap in educational attainment by 95.2%, economic participation and opportunity by 60.1%, and political empowerment by 22.1%.
Less encouraging is the fact that the Middle East and North Africa continue to be the most distant from parity in contrast to other areas, with a parity score of 62.6%. Since the last publication, there has been a 0.9 percentage point fall in parity for this area based on an ongoing sampling of the nations covered from 2006.
The empowerment of women must be viewed as a global problem. The Middle East’s regressive forces need to be denounced and defeated. But as participants in this global struggle, people have a duty to acknowledge and support the efforts being made by women and local leaders who embrace what can only be characterized as revolutionary modernization. In other words, it is not the right moment to ignore the Middle East or its people.
