It is unfortunate and yet well-known to all those women in the Arab world face additional problems, besides the common global women’s issues. More recently, and particularly in areas of civil unrest such as Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and other regions, women have been suffering more than before, within an environment marked by ongoing civil wars, rising extremism, and escalating unrest. Such conditions have led to increased physical aggression against women, as well as inequal oppression. Besides conflicts, misogyny has been a primary issue that Arab women have been struggling with for centuries.
In tracing the timeline of the particular issue of misogyny in the Arab World, research shows that in the pre-industrial world, Arab women were not the exception to receiving discriminatory and misogynist treatment, especially as in nearby regions. Yet the problem is that women in other parts of the world have relatively liberated themselves, while the patriarchal Arab society continues to subordinate women [1]. Despite revolutionary efforts and the fight for equal rights, Muslim Arab society appeared to be more resistant to change. So, what is particular about the Arab culture that maintained its norms and “misogyny” in the midst of transformational changes?
The Arab societal rules and codes, inter-related with Islamic teaching, stayed strong in the face of periods of colonization and subsequent changes of the twentieth century, and during the introduction of modernization. Traditional structures of tribal rules (including solidarity and interdependency) can be considered the foundations that govern and determine the societal roles, in turn, of protection and security from the extended family (or the tribe). As such, no one can claim independence and rebellion within this hierarchy and pre-determined roles.
In such a structure, women remain “minors” during their lives, being subordinated to male guardians starting with their immediate family members (father and brothers), and then to the spouse, who becomes a guarantor and caregiver as long as the wife shows and maintains obedience. In such a highly protected and internalized family circle, women cannot even imagine or seek another life with no skills to face the outside world.
Two important factors govern the organization of Arab society when it comes to women: stipulation and family pride (honor). Stipulation is a tribal concept that means that women belong to their patrilineal group. This implies that the male guardian is responsible at multiple levels, economically, legally, and morally, for “his” woman. The second element is family pride or honor. Men’s’ honor is dependent on the behavior of the women in their family. As such, women’s reputation in the family represents the status of pride and honor in the family. These cultural principles control societal relations and endure the patriarchal tradition.
To conclude, for Arab feminists like myself, the roots and origins of misogyny have to be carefully analyzed and understood when attempting to explain Arab women’s issues. Patriarchy and misogyny seem to be interrelated issues that need to be further deciphered and researched.