Women, work, and Islam in Arab societies (original) (raw)
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Comparative Sociology, 2024
This study examines the influence of Islam on attitudes toward female labor force participation as reflected in responses to the World Values Survey (WVS) question: "When jobs are scarce, should men have more right to a job than women?". The authors expect that respondents in Islamic (Muslim-majority) countries will have more positive attitudes toward this statement than respondents in non-Islamic countries. They test the hypothesis that the higher the percentage of Muslims in a given country, the more likely respondents are to agree with this statement. The correlation is in the predicted direction, statistically significant and quite strong. Meanwhile, tests show that respondents in Arab countries show particularly strong support for this statement (significantly stronger than in non-Arab Muslim-majority countries). Based on this, the authors try to discuss possible determinants of such attitudes. Particular support is observed in Arab countries and those non-Arab countries that have experienced a strong Arab influence. These countries can be identified with the Umayyad Caliphate in the past and may have been particularly influenced by non-Islamic elements of Arab culture that are not directly related to Islam.
Women, Employment and Development in the Arab World
Die Welt des Islams, 1987
In spite of the region's common culture, it is not possible to talk about the 'Arab woman' since there are sharp disparities among the countries. However, there are some common denominators, such as language, cultural heritage and the Islamic religion, a religion wliich encompasses a social, legal and moral code of behaviour. The majority of the population in the Arab countries (93 percent) are Moslems and are subject to the provisions of Islamic law, the Sharia. Even in countries where civil law is enforced, the Sharia, derived from the religious text of the Koran, remains the main source of legislation in the Arab countries. The pace of socioeconomic changes occurring in the region varies among and within the countries. These changes, however, 'are selective rather than general and constitute a modification rather than an abandonment of established patterns' (Prothro and Diab, 1974: 206). Indices of the uneven pace of change are reflected in the variability of literacy levels, fertility rates, labour force participation rates and legal status of women. Rapid transformations are most noticeable in the economic sector, while social changes in general and those concerning the role and status of women in particular lag behind. Economic change may affect women's education and employment, but available research indicates a limited relationship between per capita gross national product and women's attainment in education and employment. EUzabeth White points out that 'poor Moslem States such as Turkey and Tunisia have reformed many laws affecting women and encouraged female education, while some of the wealthier countries, such as Libya and Saudi Arabia, have introduced few or no reforms and report low education achievement of women' (White, 78: 64). White goes on to say that although Islamic laws do not prohibit female education and participation in productive activities, restrictive civil laws hinder her education and employment. Therefore, to understand the state of women's economic participation
Islam, women labor and economic development
2019
The purpose of this paper is to find out the position of female workers in Islam, and the role of women in building prosperity for themselves, surrounding communities and participating in the nation's economic development. It is undeniable that women in Muslim countries lag behind their counterparts in non-Muslim countries in terms of participation in the workforce. However, a large number of studies show that religion is not the culprit in preventing women from being active in the labor market, but rather the cultural attitude that shapes labor force participation decisions. In the author's view, one way for women to achieve prosperity is to give them the opportunity to work. For women, the goal is to provide opportunities to work not only to increase income but also to manage various social vulnerabilities, especially poverty and domestic violence. Women's access to work also means the opportunity to engage in broader socio-political relations. This means that women ca...
Women's employment in Muslim Countries
With the economic position of women in Muslim countries being a regular focus of public attention and a fiercely debated topic amongst academics, few systematic, detailed descriptions and analyses are available. This book presents a new and nuanced exploration of the topic, introducing a theoretical framework that accommodates both women's individual agency as well as cultural, economic, religious, and political forces shaping their position. Collating research findings involving more than 300,000 women in 383 provinces in 28 Muslim countries ranging from the Middle East via Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia to Indonesia in Southeast Asia, the book, based on this wealth of data, shows how many women earn a living outside agriculture, how big the differences in employment likelihood really are, and how these differences can be explained. In doing so it addresses topical debates on the role of Islam, modernization, globalization, neocolonialism, educational inequalities, patriarchy, household hierarchies, and more. This is a sample chapter.
Gender Equality and the Participation of Muslim Women in Education and Work: A Critical Analysis
Most of today's writings on women tend to fit them within the frame of discrimination, where they are presented as victims of a male dominated society. Voices of women's rights proponents are raised to promote gender equality in every aspect of life. However, is that what our society should aim for and to what extent should it carry out this quest? Taking a theoretical approach, this paper looks at women both in educational and work environments. An Islamic perspective is employed to evaluate the general issues throughout the paper, specifically the concept of gender equality. Special reference has been made to selected Qur'anic verses and the Prophetic sayings (Ahadith) dealing with women's issues. The descriptive and analytical methods have been utilized through the entire discussion. This study concludes that problems faced by contemporary women can be solved by referring to the Divine Word of Allah (s.w.t.), the Qur'an and the Prophetic Sunnah, as well as the Divine-Oriented traditions.
Of Wife and the Domestic Servant in the Arab World
2012
The author asserts to avoid common misunderstandings on the relevance of Sharia to modern women in the Arab World that a) Shari’s relevance to the lives of modern women in the Arab World has been largely confined to the area of family law, b) in the modern nation state Sharia has been codified, i.e., certain rules derived from Islamic jurisprudence
The Status of Working Women in the Middle East
International Journal of Advances in Computer Science and Technology, 2018
The paper aims to find where we can achieve gender equivalence which is very important for workplaces not only because it is 'fair' and 'the right thing to do,' it is also imperative to the bottom line of a business and the productivity of our region. Women and men come into the workplace with equivalent levels of ambition. Besides, today more than ever, women are achieving their professional targets and delivering effective assistance to the accomplishments of individual businesses and the entire economy as well. They are embracing their careers sincerely and faithfully, as can be considered from the high levels of engagement that these women feel towards their jobs. Moreover, to get benefits of equality in the workplace with access to the entire talent gathering, that because women are gradually become educated as men. In this study, we found that "Get Your Facts Straight: Women in the Middle East Workplace" article has a proper research methodology as it must be in any academic study. This research investigates the current status of working women in the Middle East region, the Bayt.com Status of Working Women in the Middle East survey December 2014 has shown that 60% of women in the Middle East find that not easy to get appropriate job opportunities, whereas 51% of them believe that recruitment and selection opportunities have been processed, regardless of gender.
The Islamic Culture Vol 41 June , 2019
The study in hand highlights different societal roles women assume in a Muslim Society compromising on their social, civic or other rights as human being. Women, being a considerable proportion of a society, assume a number of roles and responsibilities. Likewise; Muslim societies provide women different opportunities to work in different permitted capacities. Basically these roles and responsibilities are categorized into mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. These roles have been categorically discussed in the light of Islamic injunctions and teachings. This study covers these four basic aspects of a Muslim woman. Women rights and obligations have been the core theme of this study which provides a comprehensive survey in direct and simplified manner. The Research methodology is qualitative one with an embedded literature view. An effort has been made to use modern authentic sources on the theme. The approach is both empirical and impartial. Islamic view has equally been defended while respecting the other views. However; an effort has been made to quantify the facts described qualitatively.
Honored and Empowered Women: An Islamic Perspective
Al-Duhaa
The under representation of women in senior management positions is well recognized globally and locally. Research on the factors affecting women’s career progression has been proceeding continuously over the years and there is a significant literature regarding this issue. Different studies focus on similar factors held responsible for women’s lack of progress to senior positions across nations and societies. In the Islamic perspective there is a perception that Islam does not allow Muslim women to participate in different activities. Is does so? Based on the literature review this paper provides a brief account of the position of Muslim women from a religious perspective based on original and authentic sources in Islam. This aims to provide an analysis of the teachings of Islam regarding the role of women in society. We have come to the Conclusion in this article that during the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) women were engaged in Islamic and economic activities and Islam has hon...