Womanpower: The Arab Debate on Women at Work
Womanpower unveils the lively but little-reported debate on women's positions in the modern Arab world. It paints a picture drawn from individual stories as well as from national development programs and attempts to explain why the process of social change in the region has been slow and uneven by linking it to political and economic developments. By illustrating particular themes—personal status laws, development policies, political rights—with examples from specific countries, Nadia Hijab...
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Womanpower unveils the lively but little-reported debate on women's positions in the modern Arab world. It paints a picture drawn from individual stories as well as from national development programs and attempts to explain why the process of social change in the region has been slow and uneven by linking it to political and economic developments. By illustrating particular themes--personal status laws, development policies, political rights--with examples from specific countries, Nadia Hijab builds up an informative overview of the Arab world today.
List of tablesxPrefacexiList of abbreviationsxivIntroduction1The UN Decade for Women1The Arab world and the UN Decade2The Convention's rocky road4Change at the grassroots level5Tough times ahead61The great family law debate9A slow pace of change10The Arab family: the key to society12Women: the key to the family13'Equivalent' under the law14The early days of Islam15Restrictive interpretations16The secular approach: Turkey20Nationalism vs reform: Tunisia's 'Islamic secularism'22An 'Islamic Marxist' approach: Democratic Yemen24Leaving the law to the courts: Bahrain and Kuwait25The debate on identity, religion and rights: Algeria26The Egyptian family law saga29Egyptian women argue their case31A small step for womankind...35Appendix362Cross-currents conservative and liberal38'Cultural loyalty' and the limits of debate39Cultural colonialism41Cultural loyalty and the status of women43Feminism vs nationalism45The establishment outlook47Defining the role of religion in society48Organisational strength49Reaching out to women50The uses of veiling51Islamic liberation53How to define the role of women56The liberal nationalists57Questioning the framework59The debate goes on613Arab women in the workforce63Redefining development63Some positive indicators65And some negative indicators68Working women: unreliable statistics72Three conditions: need, opportunity, ability73The cultural thesis: an example from Lebanon75Need at the state level--and the phenomenon of labour migration77Labour migration and the role of women78Opportunity at the state level: planning for women80Arab labour legislation on women83The gap between theory and practice85Need and opportunity at the popular level86Work and public activity: two sets of attitudes89The third condition: ability91Need, opportunity, ability924Jordanian women's liberating forces: inflation and labour migration94Need at the state level: from unemployment to labour shortage94Ability: the female labour pool95Creating opportunity: planning for women98Self-reliance vs self-help99Legislation and 'consciousness-raising'101Attitudes of Jordanian employers103Need at the popular level105Change in the village, too109New avenues open up110The pendulum swings1125The Arab Gulf states: demand but no supply116A flood of foreign manpower116Opportunity knocks, not too loudly119Social attitudes and opportunity at the popular level121Colonisation in reverse, and the question of identity123Social alarm bells and foreign nursemaids125Changing attitudes to marriage127The young professionals128The women professionals130Tug of war on women's work132Ability: the need for skills134Work for work's sake1356Power past and future138Defining power138Negotiating power141Early women reformers and nationalism143Women's groups, official and unofficial147The right to vote (when parliament exists)149Seeking other avenues for change152Networking, and cultural maturity156Social, economic and national liberation158Information as a source of power161Empowering people164Bibliography166Index173
