Is There Political Will in Egypt to Promote Gender Equality?

1470 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Egyptian society for women

Although gender inequality is experienced by women in many parts of the world, it is quite excessive in the Arab world. In this essay I will be using Egypt as a case study. Cultural and traditional norms play a huge role in the oppression of women when it comes to illeteracy, female circumsision, and domestic violence. Everyday less fortunate innocent girls are born into a society where the above is accepted by most of the society and is percieved as a norm. Religion is a very contraditing topic when it comes to gender inequality, and there is honestly more than just Religion to blame. The problem with culture and tradition is that people rarely ever question its morality, since people have been doing it for years, therefore it is viewed as the obvious thing to do, when in fact it's time people start thinking for themselves and not just following this or that tradition because its been engraved in their culture, and instead think about the impact it will have on their family, and on the development of their country as a whole. The cultural, religious, and governmental systems oppress women and leave no space for gender equality to blossom, leaving no will for society as a whole to strive for equality between the sexes.
The first element that shows the lack of will in Egyptian culture is socially constructed norms or gender roles, domestic violence and how it has become so common that the society no longer does anything about it, and lastly, female genital mutilation. "Egyptian males are presumed to be authoritarian in their relations with women, to uphold the segregation of gender roles, to take control of fertility decisions, and to maintain emotional distance from wives and children” (Davis and Davis 1989; Kandiyoti 1994). Whi...

... middle of paper ...

...tian-girl-refuses-to-wear-hijab-and-shoots-herself-to-death.html
Ibrahim, B. 2010. The struggle for equality in Egypt. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/07/equality-struggle-egypt-women
Livewire.amnesty.org. 2013. Egypt: Time to address violence against women in all its forms | Amnesty's global human rights blog. [online] Available at: http://livewire.amnesty.org/2013/06/06/egypt-time-to-address-violence-against-women-in-all-its-forms/
Nytimes.com. 2013. Log In - The New York Times. [online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/world/middleeast/14iht-letter.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 [Accessed: 09 Dec 2013].
Stopstreetharassment.org. 2013. Statistics – Academic and Community Studies- Stop Street Harassment. [online] Available at: http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/resources/statistics/statistics-academic-studies/

Show More
Related

  • Problems with Obesity in America

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    New York Times.

    Read More

  • Changes in Baseball

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Aug. 2013. Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • The Effects of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 on Gender Equality

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Islamic Revolution of 1979 placed an ideological wedge that created an increasingly pervasive rift in gender equality that is now only gradually being successfully challenged and correct upon.

    Read More

  • Avrom Sutzkever’s Frozen Jews

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    New York Times. The New York Times Company, 23 Jan. 2010. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

  • Another Evening At The Club By Alifa Rifaat Summary

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    It revolves around the issues of gender oppression, sexual assault, and importance of social status. Alifa Rifaat manages to express her opinions towards these themes by writing about a typical Egyptian marriage. She puts in focus the strong influence that a patriarchal society has. She also manages to prove how important social status is in society. The uses of literally elements such as theme and irony help express this view. It shows that in a typical Egyptian society women are commonly oppressed by all males in society

    Read More

  • Islamic Women: Oppression or Equality?

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    Female’s oppression in the Islam religion and Islamic states is a valid concern. Violence between the sexes and strict decrees for cleanliness seem for Westerners to create an abnormally large schism between the sexes. Is such a perception true

    Read More

  • Women's Roles in the Postclassical Period by Religion

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first religion and its views on women that will be discussed in this essay is Islam. Islam is a religions founded in Saudi Arabia almost two thousand years ago, by the prophet Muhammad. In fact, Muhammad dedicated much attention towards women in the Koran, the holy book of Islam. However, even though much was dedicated to women in the Koran, it was not dedicated to them in the sense of equality. Women in Islamic culture were apparently much lower on the totem pole than men, "The men are made responsible for the women, since God endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners...If you experience opposition from the women, you shall first talk to them, then [you may use such negative incentives as] deserting them in bed, then you may beat them (129)." Excerpt...

    Read More

  • Women in the Middle East

    2311 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the book, Women in the Middle East, a Saudi Arabian proverb states, "A girl possesses nothing but a veil and a tomb" (Harik and Marston 83). The key words, "veil" and "tomb" lend evidence to the fact that many Middle Eastern women lack identity symbolized by the “veil” and lack the right of ownership except for their veil and the tomb. This statement further enforces the notion that many women in the Middle East are expected to serve and tolerate the oppression of the men in their lives throughout their lives on this earth. Moreover, it confirms that many of these women do not get the opportunity to obtain education, join the work force, and even participate in the political affairs of the country. This arrangement further helps the Middle Eastern men to view women as their properties, servants, or even as slaves. Ultimately, there are three main reasons why Middle Eastern men engage in the act of oppressing their women.

    Read More

  • Women's Rights in The Islamic Republic of Iran

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 created a lasting affect on the societal role of women through modern day Iran. Women in Iran before the revolution were not entirely treated equal to men, but despite some cultural perceptions of women being inferior to men, they had made progress to become socially equal under the Shah. Several misconceptions and theories have been published and studied to show the inequality of women versus men because of Islam. However, contrasting theories have also been made to show that inequality has little to do with the religion, but instead with the forceful nature upon which it was implemented in the revolution. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the Islamic and political history of Iran and its social implications over Iranian women.

    Read More

  • Women of the Middle East

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Women of the Middle East have played substantial roles for their corresponding countries since the advent of colonialism in the region. Middle Eastern women have worked in all types of fields including medicine, education, agriculture, government, private sector, and even defense. They have kept roofs over their family’s heads while their husbands were away in wars, or even in foreign countries to work in jobs that they could not find in their own countries. The roles of women in the countries of Yemen and Oman are no exception, but while they still find ways to contribute to their country, they care constantly stereotyped, discriminated, and ridiculed by men who are known and unknown to them. This paper will discuss the individual contributions of the women living in Yemen and Oman, and will discuss in further state laws and cultural norms that are affecting the women living in these countries today.

    Read More

  • Belly Dancing: Stereotypical Egyptian Female

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    I am almost certain that these women know that in other parts of the world, women have equal rights as men and treated equal. Even though I know not all women in Egypt are treated wrong or less than men, it is still not right that it is not a law that women are to be treated the same as men. It should be well known and a standard for women to be equal as men. They should not have to be accompanied by any male companion in any part of public property. It is sad to see that not all women in the world are treated equal but men

    Read More

  • Egyptian Culture In Woman At Point Zero By Nawal El Saadawi

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the novel Woman at Point Zero the author, Nawal El Saadawi, retells the life story of Firdaus, the main character, a tragic hero who rebels against the social norms within her oppressive culture seeking the same respect and prestige that is bestowed upon her male oppressors, only to be executed for her attempt to obtain the same privileges as men. This essay will demonstrate how the aspects and expectations of Egyptian culture influence Firdaus’s decisions as she struggles to be her own woman in a society controlled by dictatorial political and patriarchal structures all while exposing the evident discontentment she has with the way Egyptian society views women, and the glorification of things that go against ideal societal structures.

    Read More

  • Book Report: Return of the Pharaoh

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    Perhaps the main reason I liked this book was the unfaltering courage of the author in the face of such torture as hurts one even to read, let alone have to experience first-hand. Where men give in, this woman perseveres, and, eventually, emerges a stronger person, if that is even possible. The book’s main appeal is emotional, although sound logical arguments are also used. This book is also interesting as it shows us another face of Nasir – the so-called “champion of Arab nationalism” – who is also the enemy of pan-Islamism. The book is also proof of history repeating itself in modern-day Egypt.

    Read More

  • Domestic Violence In Arab Society Essay

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Arab societies , the wife is fully responsible for the violence against her , for being beaten because she obviously did something that annoyed her husband . According to Haj Yahia’s findings (1998 a ;1998 b ) , " Arab men and women are prone to justify violence towards wives if the wife does not obey her husband , undermines his authority , insults him in front of his friends , does not respect his parents and siblings , and does not live up to his expectations for functioning as a wife and a mother " (p.167). In rural Egypt , it is common for a husband to beat his wife if she refused to have sex with him ( El Zanaty et al. ,1996 ). To grasp the full meaning , the nature of Arab societies facilitates beating women

    Read More

  • Life, Liberty, and Security

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Women’s human security rights in the Arab world: on nobody's agenda.” 50.50 Inclusive Democracy, 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

More about Is There Political Will in Egypt to Promote Gender Equality?

Open Document