Ta 1

Anjali Ta
Mrs. Barnes
English 112
5 March 2015
Womens Rights in the Middle East
Its important that we really look at this broadly and say yes weve made progress lets
be proud of that but we cant rest. For...womens rights are human rights. As indicated by the
former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the need for gender equality is a continued struggle
for many women around the world (Sifferlin). Indeed, basic privileges such as education, fair
legal trials, or social empowerment are denied daily to women in the Middle East. Although
many western countries have reached gender equality, the same can not be said for the rest of the
globe. The modern day oppression of womens civil rights in the Middle East originating from a
historically misogynistic culture has affected multiple generations and will continue to do so
unless the general public becomes aware of this crisis.
Furthermore, the history of Middle Eastern womens rights is filled with radically biased
laws and social inequalities that have originated from the misinterpretation of a religion and
other factors. According to the traditional laws, women were forced to submit and be obedient
towards their husbands under the constant threat of legal physical abuse (Mayer). Consequently,
such laws facilitated the growth of misogynistic thoughts throughout this time period. A woman
could not obtain a divorce unless the husband also agreed on the terms yet a man could divorce
one of his multiple wives by simply stating a divorce formula (Mayer). This practice left many
wives in a terrifying situation with no escape. In addition, child marriages were a common
occurrence and often did not require the consent of the underaege bride (Mayer). Although the

Ta 2
Islamic belief does place some restrictions on the rights of women, the majority of the oppression
was due to the blurring of political and religious agendas. During the seventh century Arabian
empire, gender equality actually advanced in many aspects (International Womens Day).
Unfortunately, many different radical groups, such as the Taliban, have undone previous
advancements and restricted womens rights yet again (International Womens Day). Both
political changes were accomplished in the name of Islam, but obviously were done under
contrasting motives, thus demonstrating that two parties can interpret any popular text to fit their
own agendas. The word of the Quran, the religious text of Muslims, has been viewed in many
different ways, which has led to the history of womens lack of rights in the Middle East.
Nonetheless, gender inequality is still a large problem in the region despite the modernization
that had occurred in other aspects of their lives.
Moreover, modern day women living in the Middle East still face gender discriminating
laws, social customs, and economic restrictions. Over 127 countries have at least one legal
limitation on womens opportunities in the economic world (Mideast and Africa). These laws
impact womens abilities to do the common tasks that many take for granted such as opening a
bank account or even owning property (Mideast and Africa). Another uphill battle for Middle
Eastern women, is equality in judicial courts, both regionally and locally. In Jordan, it was
reported that in 2013 almost ninety-five percent of rapists went unpunished for their heinous
crimes (Ensuring womens access). Indeed, these types of statistics help display the extremely
hostile environments that women in the Middle East are subjected to. Subtle discriminations due
to the sexist culture have resulted in ...hidden violence that still exists against our female
colleagues, who suffer intimidation , sexual harassment and psychological abuse in the
workplace just for being women (IFJ). Although the passage of time has somewhat lessened

Ta 3
the gender gap, women in the Middle East still suffer from sexist laws that inhibit their daily
lives.
In conclusion, the rights of women in the Middle East have been and are currently
severely oppressed due to discriminating laws and social cultures. From complete marital
obedience to limited economic advancement opportunities, women in this region lack the
common privileges that many parts of the world take for granted. Hopefully, with future social
modernization and lawmaking, complete gender equality can become a possibility for the people
of this region.

Works Cited
"Ensuring women's access to justice crucial to gender equality -- activists." Jordan Times
[Amman, Jordan] 9 Mar. 2015. Global Issues in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
"IFJ Marks On 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against

Ta 4
Women [press release]." Africa News Service 27 Nov. 2014. Global Issues in Context.
Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Mayer, Ann Elizabeth. "Law and Women in the Middle East." Cultural Survival. Cultural
Survival, 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
"Mideast and Africa Still Holdouts On Women's Rights." Africa News Service 26 Sept. 2013.
Global Issues in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
"This International Women's Day, separate Islam and culture when it comes to rights."
Albawaba.com 8 Mar. 2015. Global Issues in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Sifferlin, Alexandra. "Hillary Clinton Six Best Pieces of Advice for Succeeding in a Man's
World." Time. Time, 4 Apr. 2014. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.