Gender Roles in the Middle East: A Balanced Understanding and Perspective

Imagining what the U.S. looked like before the Women’s Rights Movement might seem to many, a lot like what some parts of the middle east look like today.  Many people, including some of our global-minded sixth graders, hold narrow judgments and stereotypes about certain social practices in the middle east, particularly with respect to gender practices.  

As we began our study of geography and culture in the middle east region, we took the opportunity to investigate and discuss the diverse roles and aspirations of middle eastern women and the influence of various interpretations of Sharia Law, social customs, geographical location, and family traditions. Students first compared and contrasted gender practices in the U.S. with those in the middle east region.  Analyzing popular misconceptions was helpful in being able to gain a more balanced understanding of gender roles.  But, what next?  Perspective. An important part of our inquiry would be about the formations of cultural traditions and how and why they change, specifically in the middle east region. The question guiding our research and investigation was:

How does the progression of rights over time, the value of the family network, the variation in family or personal status laws across states, or the role of Sharia Law shape cultural values and behaviors?

Specific, inquiry-based questions included:

1. How do Muslim girls and women feel about covering their hair?
2. What are the priorities of Muslim women?
3. How long did it take to achieve women's suffrage after independence in Oman compared to that of the United States?
4. How do the various interpretations of Sharia Law in different Muslim communities influence gender roles for Muslim women around the world?

Students used visible thinking walls to post research results and related ideas, affording students the ability to become engaged thinkers and learners; even thought leaders! They learned that there is a difference between religion and culture and that not all middle eastern Muslim women are oppressed by their religion. From previous discussions about gender equality in other parts of the world, we know that women all over the world, regardless of religion, have struggled against inequalities and restrictive practices in education, the workforce and family roles. While many of these same limitations apply to some middle eastern women, many of these influences stem from local cultural traditions as well as various interpretations of Sharia Law or Islamic traditions.  One student reported that "this seems like a pretty complicated issue and that we would need a whole lot more time to find all the answers". Another reported that "it didn't seem fair to judge middle eastern traditions and assume that everyone wants to become more "western-oriented" because traditions can be very important to some people and there are a lot of people who don't like change - maybe some of these women are proud of their traditions". One of the last comments I overheard: "What if a woman wants to pursue her own passions, but she is afraid that she will be shunned by society if she does?  That doesn't seem like equality to me". 

“Women and Gender Roles in the Middle East.” TeachMideast, teachmideast.org/articles/introduction-women-gender-roles-middle-east/.