My Understanding Of Feminism

My Understanding Of Feminism
My life as a feminist began not long ago. My personal understanding of feminism has been and
remains to be limited, but I strive to broaden my understanding of feminism and keep an open mind
to the new dynamics of feminism I am being introduced to. My first understanding of feminism was
as a movement for the equality between men and women. This is a problematic view of feminism
because it enforces the gender binary and theoretically only benefits women. My understanding of
feminism grew as my understanding of oppression grew. The world is not simply women being
oppressed and men benefiting from this oppression. The oppression that feminists are fighting is
vastly more complicated. I see this oppression not just as the oppression of women but also of
femininity. This enforces a macho mentality in male–gendered and masculine presenting people and
enforces the oppression of people with feminine qualities. Because this oppression affects everyone,
everyone stands to benefit from feminism. I have also learned that this oppression does not affect
everyone equally. Different socio–economic standings, race, gender identity, sexuality, age etc.
change how people experience oppression and the severity to which they face it. I have privilege in
that I am white, middle class, cisgendered, American, english speaking, (sorta) able bodied,
mentally stable to an acceptable point, (mostly) heterosexual, etc. As a feminist it is important to me
to not only fight against the oppressions I
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The Role Of Interconnection In Abina
The goals of the feminist and women 's rights movements are first to create equality amongst all
people. All people are deserving of quality health care, unconditional love and mutual respect.
Human rights are at the heart of women 's issues, whether you are a woman, man or child, everyone,
is entitled to basic human rights as individuals. As a marginalized section of the population, women
should be interested in the elimination of patriarchal ideologies and systems that continually seep
into middle America. As women we must practice and support the feminist movement throughout
the world. For even, if one woman is disregarded, we are all collectively disregarded as a movement
and as a force that can emit change.
The National ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The world is a global community where one environment effects another. It is a cascading effect
where one community connects into another just as a lake connects in to the river system, river
systems connect into vast expanses of oceans and seas. Interconnection is key to global success.
In the excitement of it all, let us not lose sight of the goal. There is always the exception as in Abina.
Abina is sent to live with Quamina Eddoo 's sister, Eccoah, who, to an extent, was also a part of the
slave trade. Eccoah took on the role of master so she would not be but allowed to rule over others.
Individual ethics and commitments as stated in the charter are basic human rights that all people
should aspire to. Although, Albina is devastated when told the verdict, she secured a huge victory
for all women! She set in motion a new precedent within the courts. A precedent that would consider
accepting women as an agency, women as self–sufficient and women as decision makers. Albina has
been confident in herself as a person, not just a woman. Abina may not have won the judgment in
the courts she had hoped for but by daring to come up against her aggressors she is victorious for all
womanhood!
Unlike the other two documents written for women and by women the China National Program for
Women's

A Google Search For The Term ' Muslim Women '
A Google search for the term 'Muslim women' greatly illustrates the impression and image of Islam
in western society; the page fills with pictures of women in coverings, most prevalently head–to–toe
black with just their eyes visible, with several women depicted in fetters. This shows the way the
western eye interprets Muslim women – constantly oppressed by the patriarchal, Islamic religion;
however, it is also a representation of the perceived strangeness of a society not entrenched in our
beliefs. The controversy of Muslim veiling is highly affected by western ideals, and discourse is
often based in Islamophobia; also, veiling's stance in feminism is often misconstrued as either a
guise for racism, or ignorance of non–western interpretations of liberation.
The controversy of Muslim veiling, even in Middle Eastern countries, is often interpreted through a
western lens, with a focus on the concept of 'modernity.' Besides from citing issues of patriarchal
discrimination with the veil, Islamic feminists argue for their unveiling as an acceptance of modern
times and more progressive society, claiming that the veil is tied to politics rather than religion;
women who see it as a political symbol say that, unveiled, they can avoid the "religious extremism
and racial separatism" associated with it (Read and Bartkowski 93).
However, this claim of modernism is a way of attacking the non–western tradition of veiling; many
of the same beliefs for the usage of the veil are commonly

Positive Changes in the Quality of Life for Woman in Morocco
In recent years, Morocco has made positive changes to the rights and quality of life for women.
These changes include educational opportunities, use of contraception, more public participation,
and greater participation in the paid workforce. With the persistence of patriarchy, the presence of
religion, and the current spotlight on the Middle East, life of Muslim women still remains invisible.
It is valuable to explore the ways in which Muslim women explain their place in society today.
Many feminist movements in Morocco parallel those in the western world and create several notable
achievements on behalf of human and women's rights. At the political and social level, there are
signs that conditions for women are changing. Social organizations, which encourage women's
rights, are becoming more popular and influential. During the last part of the 19th century
continuing through the 20th century women in well off classes had access to feminist ideas and
developed the first period of feminism in Morocco. After the independence period of the 1940s the
Moroccan palace created the "Feminism of State." Although more of a silent representation rather
than an active transformer it paved way for more active forms of feminism in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1969 the National Union of Moroccan Women was created and the Moroccan Association of
Familiar Planning began in 1971. These organizations began the second feminist generation and
movement, which moved through the 1980s and focused on

Interpretation Of The Qur An In Conversation'
"I am Qur'an–centric: the Qur'an is at the center of my heart and my motivation. This is not a
negotiation of hadith; it is not a negation of the sunna or the established practice of the Prophet, or
the Prophet himself, upon him be peace."
Amina Wadud in her essay within Qur'an in Conversation speaks to the notion of Qur'an–centric,
that is focused on the text of the Qur'an itself, rather than focusing necessarily on the interpretative
tradition associated with Islam. Wadud, of course, is not arguing against the interpretation of the
Qur'an, instead she is putting forth that the traditional interpretive process can be limiting to the
interpretations of the Qur'an that could otherwise be offered. Wadud, specifically, focuses upon the
intersection ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Voices of women seemingly have not been a part of the traditionally interpretative process, their
interpretations and voices have not affected conversations about the Qur'an itself, Islamic practice,
or gender relations. Within Qur'an in Conversation the voices of women make up eleven of the
twenty–five interpretations offered; the voices of women, issues of gender, are definitely heard
within this text. Yet, I do not wish to convey a message of singularity, an implication that the voices
of women must be in continually agreement is not one that I endorse as truth. The Qur'an in
Conversation does not minimize the differences between these women's voices, each of these
women have distinctive interpretative styles, opinions, and methods of engaging egalitarianism, yet
all of these women are incredible voices for feminist interpretations of the Qur'an. When the voices
of change, voices of difference, voices of gender equality, come into being there can be an
emergence of nuanced conversations of the intersections of interpretive conversations between
gender, the Qur'an and Islamic practice itself. Wadud, Barlas, and Anonymous occupy a site of
resistance to reinforcing notions of patriarchy within the Qur'an, instead each journeys a unique path
to understanding of the role of patriarchal authority of the tradition and each

Feminism : A Patriarchal Society
According to Webster dictionary, feminism is defined as "the belief that men and women should
have equal rights and opportunities." When people today hear the word feminism, they tend to think
of women who disdain men and want to overthrow their power within a country. On the contrary
though, women are mostly equalitarian in which they want to work against the power structures and
have equal rights or gender equality within a society like most men have. Most women are forced to
live within a patriarchal society, where men have control and power over many structures like jobs.
Through this power, women are seeking to break down some of these barriers and work together
with men in societies today to create balance in the work force and many industries today. Feminism
can have many meanings, but I believe it means that women are seeking political, economical, and
social equality amongst their male counterparts. Feminism embraces freedom and liberation, which
can ultimately lead to breaking down the barriers of gender inequality, race, social class, ethnicity,
religion, and culture. The concept of the feminist movement was adapted close to the 1800's, but
there is not an official start or end to this movement. A wave model depicts the feminism movement
and it is known that one phase does not end and another phase starts; it is a continuous process. This
model illustrates that women are fighting against patriarchy throughout history by being involved in
many political

The Analytical Foundation Of Agenda Setting Essay
Introduction: Agenda setting is the most critical phase of the policy cycle and has a decisive impact
on the entire subsequent policy and its outcomes (Howlett, Ramesh & Perl (2009). Agenda setting,
Birkland suggests (1997, p.11), is "the result of a society acting through political and social
institutions to define the meanings of problems and the range of acceptable solutions". In another
words, Agenda–setting as a term was introduced by Cobb and Elder (1971) who "are concerned with
how issues are created and why some controversies or incipient issues come to command the
attention and concern of decision makers, while others fail" (p. 905). The analytical foundation of
agenda–setting can be traced back to psychological theories of priming in work on intellectual
transforming of semantic information (Collins & Loftus, 1975; Tulving &Watkins, 1975). Although
policy making is very much a domestic concern involving national governments and their citizens,
the international organizations (known as network actors) also are increasingly vital in shaping
domestic or national policy choices and policy developments. Network actors help build norms by
bringing new ideas/opinions and issues in the policy debates and serving as sources of information
and testimony. They help build up issues, set agendas and provide information to create awareness
of a problem (Yvonne). This is often done in such a way that it becomes more salient by stressing
specific values, facts, and other

The Complete Persepolis By Marjane Satrapi
This pepper identifies and analyses some of the highlights found in the culture narrative of a visual
comic memoir titled "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, and a culture storyline, "Code
White" by Debra Anderson. Starting with "The Complete Persepolis" the book is about Satrapi's
experience as she transitions from a young woman into adulthood in Rasht, Iran and Vienna,
Australia during and after the Islamic and culture revolution between the periods of 1979–1995. The
first published in France, in French language in 2000, and English version 2003 in New York. As for
"Code White" it's a fiction cultural narrative about a Queer woman Alex who finds herself in a
mental health hospital in Toronto, Canada. Analyzing these books, and the, concepts such as
ideological practices, stereotypes, and feminism, as well as terms of ability, ablebodiness and
feminist power gives insight about ways in which systems of oppression related to race, class,
gender, ability, feminist sexuality are culturally re–enforced within a society. But also through
feminist these cultural ideologies can be deconstructed with the goal to gain economic and class
equality among all people. This essay focus in Marjane Satrapi and ways she resists to the culture
narratives of the veil in relation to gender class and sexuality. The second part pays a closer attention
to the Code White and the representation of the character of Alex and her tactics to resist to mental
illness, and stereotypes attached

Modernization : Feminists, Religion, The State
Jamal Elsaghir
Eng–132
Joseph Doherty
May 6th, 2015
Modernization: Feminists, Religion, the State
Prompt: How have states understood the notion of "modernity" and applied it to the matter of
women's rights? Can you discern any themes or trends in the examples we read about this week?
In his article: Who Wears Hijab with the President: Constructing a Modern Islam in Tunisia, Simon
Hawkins suggests, "the category of modernity is notoriously varied and contentious, with an
overabundance of both folk and academic definitions" (Hawkins, 46). In this case, it is best to look
at modernity in various contexts to better understand the term. This essay will closely investigate
approaches of modernization adopted by Tunisia, Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt and challenge
how they've justified certain actions for – what they've labeled as – the creation of a progressive
society.
Common amongst these states were their movements for modernization and focus on women's
liberation. Movements for women's reform often neglected the majority of women beyond a small
urbanized elite and rather concerned itself with a woman's public role and turned its back on her role
behind closed doors. While religion was often deemed and recognized as the official religion in
regions such as Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and Iraq, the traditional ways in which women often
expressed their religious the state adopted a new understanding of religion and its relation to the
progression of society. Religious symbols

The Debate Of Feminists And Cultural Relativists
Based on Western philosophical traditions, human rights are understood to be universal and
objective (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948), an understanding that poses unique
challenges when imagining human rights in the 21st Century. Over the last fifty years, critique of
human rights discourse has evolved into discrete areas, which include feminism and cultural
relativism. Feminists and cultural relativists often take opposing positions, with cultural relativist
views seen as dominant over feminist discourse (Byrnes 1992). Not surprisingly, this creates tension
between the two and limited their ability to collaborate and create more inclusive human rights
discourses.
This essay will outline the position of feminists and cultural relativists and demonstrate the
similarities between them, namely the common ground of human rights discourse. It is my
contention that both can work together to make inclusive changes to the way they interpret and
understand the human rights violations of women and work to assure the protection of women's
human rights. This essay will suggest that there is enough common ground between these two
approaches to provide a solid foundation where feminists and cultural relativists can combine their
insights to create a more inclusive, adaptable critique of the mainstream international human rights
discourse. Working together, they can have a greater impact on international human rights discourse
and the actualization of the human rights of

Islamic Freedom Of Choice Under The Islamic Charter
Islamic feminism can be defined as women who advocate for their rights, gender equality, and social
norms under the framework of Islam. Rooted in Islam, the movement's pioneers have also utilized
secular, Western, or otherwise non–Muslim feminist discourses. Advocates in the movement seek to
highlight the deeply rooted teachings of equality in religion and encourage a questioning of the
patriarchal interpretation of Islamic teaching through the Qur 'an, hadith and sharia towards the
creation of a more equal and just society. Non–Muslim countries, primarily the West, perceive
Muslim women as victims of Islamic traditions. The paradoxical clash in culture shapes the
discourse between Islamic and Western feminists. For Muslim women, liberation lies in the freedom
of choice under the Islamic charter. The controversy over the way women in Islam dress has become
politicized; their Hijab has become the ultimate symbol of oppression for the West, however, for
Islamic feminists, their headscarf is a resistance against Western colonialism.
The struggle between European colonialism and Muslims is apparent in issues of the 20th and 21st
century. Colonialism has altered the political atmosphere in the Muslim world; colonizers have
appointed leaders in Muslim countries, changed legal and economic institutions and has caused the
Muslim believers to challenge their faith. Colonists essentially see Christianity of utter more
importance than Islam. However, what colonists do not acknowledge

Gender Roles In Persepolis
Satrapi shows how femininity and gender ideals was used as an encouragement to support the
revolution objectives. The revolutionary leaders needed a motive to make people strongly believe in
the revolution, religion and gender was used as the main motive and to strengthen the passion. For
instance, in Persepolis, women were depicted as guardians of the nation since they are understood to
be the careers of tradition through motherhood. The Islamic regime used the cultural norms and
turned women into a symbolic cultural base. Over the course of Persepolis, we see other different
examples used by Satrapi like her teachers who seemed brainwashed by the Islamic regime Ideas
(96). Fae Chubin's "When my virtue defends your borders" shows how the 1979 revolutionary
leaders' speeches emphasized that women chastity and devotional motherhood are pivotal to the
protection of the nation, its independence and its future. He uses the post–revolution interviews,
speeches and writings by revolutionary leaders in the context of a historical review of gender
politics and gender discourses in Iran by looking specifically into the ways in which gender is
narrated and how traditional notions of femininity in the Islamic gender discourse became
reconstructed and contested through those narrations. As an example, one of the revolutionary
leaders Olama, said "this shameful unveiling... this basin–shape cap, the cast–off of the foreigners, is
a shame to the country of

The Awakening Feminist Analysis
In Kate Chopin's novel, "The Awakening", Edna finds herself in a society where women were
socially confined to be mothers and wives. This novel embodies the struggle of women in the
society for independence along with the presence of women struggling to live up to the demands
that their strict culture has placed upon them. A part of Edna wants to meet the standards of mother
and wife that society has set, however her biggest desire is to be a woman free from the oppression
of a society that is male dominant. Readers will find that the foundation of "The Awakening" the
feminist perspective because of the passion that Edna has for gaining her own identity, and
independence ...show more content...
Although she was just attempting to swim alone, she saw this experience as a great failure because
the fear or "encounter with death" prevented her from moving forward with the goal that she set for
herself. The frustration that stemmed from this experience carried to that night where she asserted
herself to her husband by defying his wishes. Her assertion was her first experience of freedom from
oppression.
"The Awakening" gives readers different view of feminism. The novel not only displays how Edna
begin to gain independence from the role of an obedient wife but the novel also embodies of how
Edna gains control of her body. The idea of Feminism rebukes people from being treated as
property. This notion of feminism not only applies to independence but also freedom of making
decisions,

Islamic Women In The Seventeenth Century Essay
Before the seventeenth century, Western ideas of Islam and Muslims, traveled by word of mouth of
western travelers who brought back stories of their visits to Islamic countries. As this was the
seventeenth century, women were not highly regarded, and it was solely male travelers who were
able to visit these countries, and recount their stories. As they would travel to the Islamic countries,
they had very limited access to Muslim women, and only got to converse with and observe the men,
leaving their interpretations of the Islamic society as biased. Therefore, the travelers told their
stories through the lens of a male perspective which influenced all of the information on Muslims at
the time. They reported that Muslim men kept Muslim women hidden, and forced them to wear the
veil as an act ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The western population came together, to eradicate the veil and what they saw as the oppression of
the Muslim women, with the Islamic countries as their common enemy. The Westerners took
advantage of this condemned acts of oppression in the Islamic Counties, and used it as an excuse for
colonizing these countries, using feminism as their excuse. Veiling became the symbol of the
oppression of women and the backwardness of Islam, in the eyes of the Westerners, and was used as
the target of colonial attacks, and assaults on Muslim societies by the West. The idea of Western
feminism, functioned to morally justify the colonial attacks on the Islamic societies, and supported
the idea of the superiority of the West. A large reason why Muslim women characterize Western
feminist critiques of veiling, as irrelevant today, is because of the history of the West using Western
feminism as a way for Westerners to colonize the Muslim people in the past. This history, influences
the fight for freedom happening

Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?
Lila Abu–Lughod is an American anthropologist whose work is focused around descriptive
ethnography and mostly based in Egypt. Her work aims to tackled three main issues: the relationship
between cultural forms and power; the politics of knowledge and representation; and the dynamics
of gender and the question of women's rights in the Middle East (Columbia). Lughod in her book
Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? sets out to get rid of stereotypes that muslim women
because of frequent 'honor killings' and the practice of veiling need to be rescued. She coins the term
for the exploration of saving muslim women 'Islamland.' There is the perpetuating stereotype and
dominant narrative that muslim women need saving and islam is a threatening ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Apart of the problem is American feminist, beyond critiques of minority exclusion, is there goal to
fix these oppressive patriarchal cultures is misdirected. Many do know fully understand the practices
they are fighting against and are too quick to judge them as "wrong." "American feminist began to
focus spectacularly oppressive practices that were easy to mobilize around: female genital cutting,
enforced veiling, or the honor crime" (Lughod, 8). She explains in her book how debates on the veil
and discussions of honour crimes are deployed as 21st century political projects. Lughod challenges
the assumptions that these countries need to be saved and critiques the west obsession of 'culture' as
the cause for repressive regimes. Abu Lughod in Writing Against Culture raises critiques of what
anthropologist are supposed to study. She raises the issue of the difference of feminism and
anthropology. Lughod talks about how anthropology really came from the divide between the west
and the non–west. And naturally because the west is the hegemony anthropology has be mainly
dominated by western anthropological thought. Which is why Lughod suggests anthropologist need
to realize this difference and move to writing against culture (Lughod, 1). Though in more recent
years the crisis of representation is beginning to get more voices from "different" cultures that are
non–western. She challenges

The Misconceptions Of A Feminist
Before I talk about what feminism means, I would like to discuss some of the many misconceptions
associated with it. Firstly, feminists are usually stereotyped as being man–hating, hairy, white
middle class women. People are also under the impression that they are ugly and a bunch of anti–
male lesbians. Also, many people think that feminism is primarily focused on women wanting to be
men. Some even argue that feminism has already reached its goal and that there's no need for its
existence anymore. Clearly all of these misconceptions and accusations are far from truth. They are
inaccurately portrayed as such due to lack of knowledge on this topic.
Gender inequality is in fact still evident in many areas, most notably the gender wage gap. It

Women 's Rights And Rights
The women's movement in Iran is well–known as a dynamic, powerful movement within a state
under various levels of Islamic regimes. Beginning from the constitutional period from 1905–1911,
women began to mobilize and organized acts of defiance such as boycotts, riots, and protests.
Despite the numerous odds against them, including not being classified as "citizens" equal under the
constitution, women's movements in Iran grew steadily over the early 1900's. Women's
organizations produced scholarly publications discussing women's rights and arguing for
representation (Mahdi 429). The Pahlavi period from 1925 to 1979 brought about a vastly different
environment in Iran. Iranian women made considerable progress in areas such as education,
parliamentary representation and family law. While the number of women in high–level
governmental positions was the highest in history, women were still subject to a patriarchal political
world. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 shifted the dictatorship from a Western to Islamic influenced
regime. Ayatollah Khomeini reversed much women's rights legislation and suspended the Family
Protection Law. Women were barred from working in the public sector save education and nursing.
Socially, Islamic dress and the veil was strictly, and at times, violently enforced. Sharia law
dominated, and women's movements seemed destitute in the face of an Islamic state. Any attempt at
rebellion was strictly pushed down. Yet while many consider the women's movement

What Makes An Effective Social Theory? Essay
To reinforce the concept of difference in a social movement Baum suggests that what makes an
effective social theory, including feminist theory is it understands the social and political
arrangements of the people situated in the argument. So that understanding then helps shape the
processes the theory must then go through (Baum 1087), because feminism is fighting for something
so big, gender equality, it affects at least half of the population, and not one person 's situation will
be completely the same. For feminism because there is such a large base of people, it is difficult to
situate everybody with their own individual arguments into the movement, because it is such a broad
spectrum of people. This may be where some of the issues arise from feminism being such separated
backgrounds of movements all fighting for the same issue.
Difference feminists would argue that feminism needs to be fought because women and men have
underlying differences, through their socialisation, and the standards that then sets for women to
meet. Connell has a theory of 'hegemonic masculinity', and believes that there certain patterns of
male masculinity are dominant in particular cultures (Connell 17). In comparison to this would be
hegemonic femininity, an example of this could be in reality television 'the swan' is a realtity show
in which cosmetic surgery and self improvement culture is hugely evident.In the show the particpant
recieves a big reveal after undergoing considerable

The Pro-Women's Movement Should And Will Replace Feminism
Feminists and the idea of feminism have both been around since the 18th century and the Age of
Enlightenment, a movement that emphasized reason, analysis, and individualism, rather than
tradition. Since then, the world has seen three unique waves of feminism. The first wave occurred in
the 19th and early 20th centuries; these were the females who fought for women's suffrage,
educational rights, better working conditions, and eliminating gender double standards. This first
wave took care of basic rights that women were not granted until they stood up and fought for them.
The second wave of feminism occurred between the 1960s and 1980s. This wave focused on
cultural and social issues, such as rape, pornography, and violence against women.
Finally, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The founder and president of New Agenda Amy Siskind, suggests that an inclusive movement that
promotes women's causes should replace feminism. Her article, "Why the 'Pro–Women' Movement
Should and Will Replace Feminism," declares that the current version of feminism will never bring
us gender equality. The movement as it stands is exclusionary and hostile towards women who have
different beliefs; Siskind writes, "Achieving gender equality is impossible in a framework where
some women are viewed as less equal." With this in mind, Siskind suggests that a new "pro–
women" movement be installed as a replacement for feminism (Siskind).
The new movement would be focused on supporting women; whether they are trans–women,
women of color, democratic or republican women, women who work, or women who stay at home
with their children. Siskind believes that the core of feminism is being able to have a choice, to
work, to raise a family, or to do both. Not only will this movement introduce a supportive group of
women for women, but it will also change our society for the better by dismantling the patriarchal
idea that women must tear each other down and be in constant competition with one another

Women 's Studies : An Egyptian American Scholar On Islamic...
Leila Ahmed born in 1940 is the first professor of Women's Studies in Religion at Harvard
University. As an Egyptian–American scholar on Islamic feminism and Islam, Ahmed has published
a number of highly informative works addressing the complexities of feminism in Muslim life.
Ahmed's previous works include Women and Gender in Islam. (1993) explores the role women and
gender play from the Pre–Islamic Era in the Middle East through to the modern world that we know
today. The issue of veiling is an ongoing debate and one in which invokes a great emotion among
many people. Her latest work explores the history of the fall and rise of the Muslim veil in the
erudite study 'A Quiet Revolution'. The study logically details the changing attitudes to veiling in
Egypt in the 1940's and 50's through to its resurgence in the 1970's and then its impact in the US
post 9/11. Written from Ahmed's own perspective as a feminist and as a non–wearer of the veil at a
time when it was seen as quite natural not to wear a hijab. The reason for the study arises from
Ahmed's move to Cambridge in the US and her amazement at seeing a public gathering of Muslim
women of which "were in hijab [which] was still exceedingly rare." (1).
In summary, the research leads to a complete turnaround of events in Ahmed's thoughts that the
wearing of the veil is a symbol of oppression to the times and a backwards step of gaining equality.
As a non–wearer of the veil Ahmed, works from a non–bias viewpoint to get the

The Misconceptions About Women in Islam Essay
The Misconceptions About Women in Islam
While people in the west think that women in Islam are oppressed, they do not know that Islam
liberated women from oppression. There are many people who have opinions about the religion of
Islam, but mostly about the women who follow it. Westerners have this idea that women in Islam are
disrespected, mistreated and oppressed. In actuality, these allegations are incorrect. Women in Islam
have rights and are not oppressed. The veil is widely misunderstood and many do not know what it
represents. In many ways, men and women are equal as much as they are not; and this is in every
religion. In Islam women are given many rights, such as owning properties, having an education,
working, and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He wrote a book, Islam; What Everyone Needs to Know and states in it that "The revelation of
Islam raised the status of women by prohibiting female infanticide, abolish women's status as
property, establishing women's legal capacity, granting women the right to receive their own dowry,
changing marriage from a proprietary to a contractual relationship, and allowing women to retain
control over their property and to use their maiden name after marriage." (p. 89). The hijab, also
known as the veil, is widely misunderstood. Westerners believe that this is yet another sign of
oppression. Wearing the hijab has many reasons behind it, "The custom of veiling is associated with
Islam because of a passage that says, "Say to the believing women they should lower their gazes and
guard their modesty. They should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty."
(24:31). The veil represents the religion of Islam. It stands for modesty, and that there is more to a
woman than how she styles her hair. A woman should be judged for what she says than how she
looks. In the Qu'ran chapter 24 verse 32, it states "And say to the believing women that they restrain
their looks and guard their private parts, and that they display not their beauty or their
embellishment except that which is apparent thereof, and that they draw their head–coverings
over....and that they display not their beauty or

Patriarchy And Oppression Of Muslim Women: Article Analysis
As an American citizen, we often think about patriarchy based on our monolithic concept from
colonialism. Vrushali Patil and Amrita Basu talk about the failure of patriarchy recognized
internationally through an intersectional lens, and its impact on domestic life for Muslim women.
This discussion on international patriarchy and oppression of women lead me to read Tuesday's,
April 18th, Afghan's journalist Zahra Nader and Mujib Mashal's article titled, "In Afghanistan,
Women Struggle After a Divorce." Nader and Mujib are journalists in the Kabul bureau for The New
York Times in Afghanistan. Nader has written about her lived experience as a woman journalist and
the misogynist behavior from men in Afghanistan. As a female reporter, Nader is ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Afghanistan women blame the patriarchal system of their husbands who never acknowledged
the changes they made; and they call this slow pace of shedding entrenched misogyny to clash with
the values at home, which has led to a lot of divorces. In one interview, an Afghanistan woman
claimed, "...men are used to their old lifestyle, so now they cannot tolerate that women can stand
against them... men think it is shameless and think that they do not have authority over women..."
(Nader and Mashal, 2017, pg. A9). Even when a woman seeks protection and advice, she is harassed
by male lawyers, police officers, married senior officers who pretend to care about her well–being;
but they want to come over to her house at night. This vicious cycle of male domination has led
some women to escape one form of abuse from their husbands, to then experience more abusive
behavior from male law enforcers, and ultimately they hurry to remarry into another possible
abusive relationship. The authors describe how being a single divorced woman has generated
suspicions and harassment from her own community. Some women feel obligated to inform their
neighbors when male relatives or family members visit them to avoid any slanderous rumors. The
authors assume the harassment is only for divorced young women in urban centers. They do not
address widows, older women, rural areas, or traditional marriages that are

Feminism In El Saadawi's Woman At Point Zero
Feminism is a worldly ideology that is recognized by everyone, some women are joining religious
groups despite their gender views. Others are fighting against the same groups, fearing the
dangerous mix of politics and religion misconception. Whether through or against religion they are
choosing to become part of the struggle for a better world. Non–western women who proclaim
themselves as feminists often are critiqued for being disloyal to their culture and for selling out to
western feminist ideals. Through examining El Saadawi's book of Woman At Point Zero focusing on
Islamic values and western feminism, we can start to see where El Saadawi shapes Firdaus to stand
on this issue of femininity. The idea of feminism has a direct correlation to the Islam religion and
what it expects of Muslim women to do and act like. Because of preconceived notions that women
are inferior to men, it led to a stricter patriarchal regime.This made education for women become
unnecessary because from the beginning they were viewed like a tool for reproduction for the
survival of the human species. In Women Point Zero, the actions of Firdaus force men to change
their beliefs and values to admit their misconception about women. In the book the readers can infer
the subconscious connection between women and other women in a lower class. Lower class
women have been through many problems in the world and they are the wisest of them all because
of their experiences compared to to higher class women.

Textual Analysis Of Leila Ahmed 's Women And Gender
Textual Analysis of Leila Ahmed's "Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern
Debate" "Women and Gender in Islam" by Leila Ahmed was published in 1992, at a time when
research on Arab women was a young, newly emerging field of study. Leila Ahmed is an Egyptian
American writer and feminist. Her text "Women and Gender in Islam" targets proclaimed feminists,
both western and non–western, as the intended audience. The text is involved with the discourse of
gender, the discourses of women, the discourses of feminist, and colonial and post–colonial
discourses.
Historically, "Women and Gender in Islam" discusses the social, political, legal, and religious
discourses and structures that have shaped the experience of Muslim women ... Show more content
The subordination of women in the Pre–Islamic Middle East was institutionalized by the rise of
urban societies and city–states. Gerda Lerner, who put forth a compelling feminist theory regarding
this early subordination of women, suggested that the theft of women for their reproductive abilities
was necessary to increase the population and providing labor power for early societies. Male
dominance and a patriarchal family, and subsequently, the steady decline of the status of women,
was mirrored by the decline of goddesses and the rise to the supremacy of gods. Throughout the
prominence of city states, male dominance was prevalent, and even codified in the laws (such as the
Code Hammurabi). It was during this period that the practice of veiling women under the control of
seignors were required to veil, while women of lower status were prohibited from the practice.
Despite the status of women, the upper class women were able to own and manage property in their
names and enter into contracts, until the Iranian conquest of Mesopotamia, when the status of
women once again declined. The idea that purity and virginity in women was the ideal emerged
through religious ideologies, and the vicious misogynistic culture of the Mediterranean and
Christian societies preceding Islam had

Egyptian Women
The progress of Egyptian women throughout history has been undeniably tied to race, class, and
religion. Seen as the mothers and symbols of the nation Egyptian women were continuously altered
by different political groups, such as colonists or nationalists, to suit their agendas (Baron, 2005).
However, based on their race, class, and religious ties, Egyptian women were able to use their status
as mothers of the nation in order to further their social equality. It is undeniable that progression of
women's rights depended greatly on how certain freedoms were viewed through a religious lens.
Was the education of women positive because it showed modernism or was it a betrayal of
traditionalist values? Feminism in Egypt was a product of political agendas which balanced national
progression and religious adherence. Two ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This appears counter intuitive; however, Talhami (1996) gives several examples of how the weight
of religion was utilized in order to aid in progressive initiatives. In 1919, Islam was cited in the
movement to abandon veiling because it was "un–hygienic and un–Islamic" (p. 12). Religion was
used to make a clear point that drastic measures were needed to insure a change in national
government. Women, as symbols of the nation itself, benefited from this politically driven initiative
which was made possible due to the weight that Islam carried in much of Egyptian society.
Comments such as this is why I chose Talhami (1996). He opened with addressing the complex role
of religion in Egyptian society, and warning against assumptions. Kandiyoti (1991) also asserts that
quotes from the Quran were used by advocates for the education of women in order to legitimize
such ideas. Both sources admit the fact that Islam in many cases was restrictive of women, however
it also provided them opportunities to speak out, in selective

Snow By Orhan Pamuk : Final Paper
Snow Orphan Pamuk – Final Paper
Snow by Orhan Pamuk is a story set in the volatility of a small Turkish town called Kars, which is
just off the Turkish border. The city of Kars is currently in a battle between tradition and change and
religion and modern atheist, all set in the beautiful, but sometimes treacherous beauty of a border
city during a winter snowstorm. Ka is an exiled poet, who has returned to Turkey because of the
death of his mother. Ka travels to the northern city of Kars to visit someone he knew in college and
admired from afar Ipek.
He uses the excuse of being a journalist sent to the city to write about the recent suicides of young
girls and the upcoming mayoral election. While in Kars, Ka is immediately caught up in the events
of the town, and has the opportunity to meet with governing bodies and families of the suicide
victims. This paper will explore the idea of Islamic feminism in the context of Kars and the
relationship between state authority, disobedience, and individual freedom.
In Snow, Ka, the protagonist identifies the suicide girls and the ones who are against taking off their
hijabs as "Islamic Feminists, which means, Islamic feminists ground their arguments in Islam and its
teachings, seek the full equality of women and men in the personal and public sphere, and can
include non–Muslims in the discourse and debate.
In Snow, the headscarves controversy overshadowed turkey and the modernized state, the secularist
elites implement secularism by

Linddy West And Gender Equality
We would like to acknowledge Lindy West for her contribution to Feminism. Issues concerning
feminism and gender equality abound but feminism is poorly understood by many. Feminist
movements have helped the society to grow and achieve equality for women in various areas of life.
Lindy West deserves praise for her well–written article, in which she tackled the issue of feminism
giving readers a better understanding of feminism. In her article "What no one else will tell you
about feminism," she creates a better understanding of feminism and artfully calls on everyone who
believes in gender equality to join the movement.
West elaborates on the history of feminism. She explains the various waves of feminism shedding
light on the current generation and reflecting on how far feminism has come. First wave feminism,
as West explained was in the 19th century, a time, when women were considered inferior citizens
and not allowed to vote. At this time, racism and gender discrimination was the order of the day.
Remarkably, the first wave of feminism made an impact on voting rights, in addition to been
allowed to vote, women can now compete in high political posts (West). ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
However, this right could not be legally fought for like voting rights. Nonetheless, they achieved
some success leading to lots of employment in garment factories, the introduction of birth control
pills, and criminalization of marital rape (West). Back in 1900, only 18.3 percent of the employed
population was women, that number has increased significantly to 46 percent which is very close to
equality (Islamic Research Academy). Therefore, considering the history and statistics provided, it is
fair to say that feminism has made positive strides towards the realization of gender

Compare And Contrast Mary Wollstonecraft And Leila Ahmed
Mary Wollstonecraft and Leila Ahmed In Europe or in Muslim countries, the most progressive
writers, philosophers and intellectuals were always a source of societal development. Their
revolutionary thoughts were new and often could not be accepted by their audience immediately.
However, usually next generations did not started to understand and accept them, but even applied
and based the newest and most progressive theories on them. Mary Wollstonecraft and Leila Ahmed
are two examples that illustrate this viewpoint on practice. One representing the eighteenth–century
literature of the Great Britain and the other coming from last–century Arab world, both women
struggled for women's rights and attempted to portray the life seen through female eyes, each within
her own historical and social context. The present paper aims at comparing and contrasting
Wollstonecraft and Ahmed in terms of their intellectual engagement, societal and historical input, as
well as their most important aspects. Having two similar philosophies developed, these women
symbolize progressivism, courage and modern approach which challenges current stereotypes in the
societies the authors belonged to. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Her education and her relationships with women (especially with such ones as Jane Arden and
Frances Blood) have shaped her early life and later values and beliefs (Jacobs, 2001). Wollstonecraft
was much concerned with female position in society and educational issues for women. She
struggled for the rights of women to study and to freely choose their activity and their position in a
relationship. One of her profound achievements besides her writings was the fact that she has
opened a school near London to attempt fulfilling her ideas on practice. Unfortunately, the school
went bankrupt in a year from its

Modern Day Feminism Research Paper
According to a pole done by CNN 50% percent of men aren't feminist. Feminist is a movement that
started back up in 1948. The goal of feminism was to have equal rights for all the genders, But
modern day feminism has changed. Modern day feminism haven't been looking away from men's
issues, blaming men for their own problems, and tearing themselves apart. Nowadays men's issues
aren't talked about what's so ever. In the articles Women are just as likely to commit domestic
violence as men "only 50% of partner homicide committed by women aren't reported on." Also the
arrest for women in the california area for PV as risen in the past few years. This trend in california
isn't because of a increase of violent women, but an increase in reports of this violence. There have
even been times in history were feminist have actively protested against men's movement. Feminist
were crowded around the University of Toronto to protest a men's movement were they were
holding a lecture to talk about male suicide. Next, women are starting to blame men for problems
that they face. Women are constantly blaming men for a lack of pay. The thing is that there isn't even
a wage gap it more of a earnings gap. Men work on average more hours than women so men make
more money. Women think ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In islamic based countries women are being seen as objects not people. Feminist nowadays are too
scared to take a shot at islam and the way they treat women. They worry about the small things like
catcalling and making up myths to make themselves look like the real victims of sexism when the
women in islamic countries are forced to be treated like second class citizens, those women most
follow the man with now choice of their own. Many feminist would say that even the small forms
are problematic and must be stopped, but I believe that feminist should worry about the major
sexism in the world rather than talk about some guy who catcalled

The Study Of Gender Inequality
The Study of Gender Inequality in Islamic Iran
Early in the term I read the book Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi and grew fascinated with her
account of life in Iran before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution. In this touching memoir, she
describes the 1979 revolutionary takeover of Ayatollah Khomeini, who overthrew the shah and
established an Islamic State, fusing together religious and political life. The result was a unique
combination of theocratic and democratic authority, completely unprecedented in history. Through
the implementation of sharia law, the new regime took a country which had been gradually
westernizing and forced upon it a process of complete and immediate Islamization, much to the
detriment of women who, since that time, have fallen victim to institutionalized gender inequality
and oppression. Through this rich and compelling story, I became interested in the relationship
between religion and gender inequality in Iran.
In order to gain a full understanding of the position of women in Islamic Iran, researchers have used
legal analysis, in–depth interviews, content analysis, and sociodemographic data to study women's
status through a variety of perspectives. Over time, they have uncovered patterns in education,
employment, reproductive health, and women's legal rights and obligations, which testify to a
deeply embedded culture of institutionalized gender inequality. At the same time, many have been
surprised to discover a strong and resilient

The Kite Runner By Marjane Satrapi
Women in a patriarchal society are oppressed into subordination. Even as global societies grow
more progressive, there are still parts of the world where women are stripped of their basic human
rights, forcing women to fight for equality. Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, depicts the
political turmoil in Iran by including the degrading rights of women. In places where Islamic
extremism exists, the strict fundamentalism affect the rights and societal views of women (Bobic et
al., 4–8). Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, tells the story of a Pashtun boy and the
consequences of extremism in Afghanistan, such as racism and sexism. Both Hosseini and Satrapi
use the historical backdrop of their work to develop the theme of feminism. Both novels include
women developing their own personal views of feminism within their patriarchal society. In
Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, the protagonist is influenced by the women around her; they help
shape her beliefs and individuality as a woman in Iran. When Islamic extremists begin imposing
their strict interpretation of the Qur'an to the civilians, the newly implemented Islamic law forces
women to dress in traditional attire. In Iran, Marjane Satrapi states that it is "obligatory to wear the
veil at school" (3). Satrapi reveals the submission of women in a male–dominated society, where
wearing a veil signifies modesty and piety in the Islamic culture. To Satrapi and other feminists, it is
considered dehumanizing, and those

Muslim Women Movements
As I was researching the topic of Muslim Women Movements I came across The Nation. I first
accessed the site http://www.thenation.com/article/177467/rise–islamic–feminists?page=0,0 on May
1st.
I chose this site because I found the title "The Rise of the Islamic Feminists Muslim–women are
fighting for their rights from within Islamic tradition, rather than against it" very intriguing. The fact
that women are actually using their Islamic identity as a tactic in their movements was something I
wanted to learn more about. This article, by Elizabeth Segran explores how many women faced
inequality in the Islamic world but started to acquire their power through the Qur'an and their
religion. The author states "For decades many women believed they had to choose between their
Muslim identity and their belief in gender equality so they made a global movement called
Musawah, which means equality"(1). This movement is powered by the ideals that Islam does not
favor men as many have thought to be the case. However, because patriarchy has had a strong stance
in Muslim countries these females believe it is due to the way they have interpreted and read Islamic
texts. As we have learned in this course so far, there are numerous ways to interpret Islamic texts. It
just so happens that gender has a great effect on how it is understood by individuals. Stated in this
article "Islam does not mandate injustice"(1) which can be related to Al–Shahrastanis reading about
the "true Islam". Although

Women through Time and around the World that Have Fought...
The twentieth century witnessed many changes in the daily lives of women, from the domestic roles
to the public. The new women's movement advocated for equal rights, while newly formed women's
organizations were on the rise of a new generation. The male–controlled social structures were
slowly being transformed throughout the world. Followed closely by World War I, these social
changes, which had been made at the beginning of the century, developed further as women were
propelled into the workforce, after many of their husbands and fathers were called into war, exposed
them to the previously male–dominated profession and into political situations. By the middle of the
twentieth century, women's activities and concerns were being recognized ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
We can show intolerable grievances. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Lloyd George, who is no
friend of the woman's movement, although a professed one, said a very true thing when speaking of
the grievances of his own country, of Wales. He said that there comes a time in the life of human
beings suffering from intolerable grievances when the only way to maintain their self–respect is to
revolt against that injustice." (Pankhurst 2)
Feminism was inspired not only in England but in China as well. Before the 20th century, women in
China were considered to be different from men. They occupied a lower position than men in the
hierarchical order in the social class. Women were not allowed to take part in government or
community issues and were believed to be submissive and obedient to men. The Chinese society
began to re–evaluate their traditional values because they felt

The Secular Feminism Of The Middle East Essay
The Secular Feminism of the Western Society does not understand Islamic feminism which is
inclusive with Islam. Western feminists see Islam as oppressive in nature and Western Feminism
does not recognize the struggle of the women of the Middle East and does little to help their plight
where they yearn for basic rights women in the West take for granted. Where Islamic feminism is
very strong is in Iran where women deal with oppression within their everyday lives.
The Secular Feminism in the West has its own problems and causes that they fight for. Women in the
West are fighting for things like equal wages, end rape culture and protect reproductive rights. In
America Women's rights are protected by the constitution and cannot be taken away. Women have
the right to vote, they have freedom of speech, they are allowed to have property. In America, all
women have basic fundamental rights and our government protects these rights. However, in the
Middle East, in Iran specifically, women are not protected by their governments and they do not
have fundamental rights. According to the 209th Article of the Iranian constitution a women's life is
only worth half of a that of a man. In western society like Britain or America the law covers women
and men in the same ways and one is not worth more than the other. In 2014 an Iranian artist named
Atena Farghadani was arrested for drawing parliament as animals. At the time the Iranian parliament
was trying to take away all access to any type

Judith Plaskow Research Paper
Judith Plaskow Judith Plaskow began her study of feminism while pursuing a Phd at Yale and
continued on to cofound B'not Esh, a Jewish feminist spirituality collective, as well as author many
theological books (Braude, 2004, pg 219). She grew up in a Reform Judaism household and as a
child focused on "ethical monotheism", which lead to her study of the Holocaust and the
development of a self–image of victimhood (2004, pg 220). It was Naomi Weisstein, a psychologist,
who spoke to Plaskow women's group at Yale that really spurred her to reconsider her own
ambitions in life (2004, pg 221). In her discovery of feminism, Plaskow felt that she was able to
move past her self–identity as a victim and began to examine how her womanhood and Jewishness
could contribute to the world (2004, pg 222). She began to connect feminism with religion along
with her college friend Carol P. Christ and even asked Rosemary Radford Ruether to ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Christ is the main leader of the Goddess Movement, although she grew up in a rather conservative
Christian family (Braude, 2004, pg 97–98). Upon entering Yale, her political views were opposite
those of her childhood, however she was still treated more as a female body than a female person
(2004, pg 99). Eventually, she was able to make life–giving connections between herself and other
women at Yale, such as Plaskow (2004, pg 100). Christ tried to find a religion that could nourish her
soul, just as her friendships did, however, it was difficult to do so due to the deep embedded sexism
in many religions (2004, pg 102). It was Starhawk, a now famous neo–pagan, who first introduced
Christ to the idea of a Goddess, rather than the male images of God she was accustomed to (2004,
pg 102). This Goddess allowed women to have an affirmation of their power, body and will (2004,
pg 103). Though she has found great success in her life as an author, Christ had struggled to find
employment as a professor due to her not being Christian (2004, pg

Male and Female Roles in Muslim Countries
It is believed by some that the Qur'an does not describe women as being inferior but instead states
that Allah created men and women in different ways so they are better suited to different roles and
have different traits (Al–Mannai 2010). As mentioned previously, recent debates surrounding men
and women's positions in society now usually focus on gender equality and women's rights (Bilge
2010). The early twentieth centuries were when the first major debates surrounding women's rights
began and when women's opinions on the topic were first made obvious (Abu–Lughod 1998).
Women both then and now participated in the debates and struggles to ensure that their voices were
heard. Many do have differing opinions surrounding what rights they want, and opinions have
changed over time as globalisation has become more and more prominent (Abu–Lughod 1998). In
the past women have had leading and important roles in Islamic society. It is thought that
imperialism affected this and encouraged Muslim men to take charge and bring us to where we are
today. It is believed that the threat from foreign countries, traditions and values forced men to
protect their women and therefore hide them (Al–Mannai 2010).
The way that male and female roles in Muslim countries are shown in the West are often misleading
and untrue. Similarly to this, the ways that Western values are translated in Islamic culture are often
misleading and this then affects politics and public perceptions – particularly

Feminist Movement Research Paper
The United States is known as the land of the free, but this was not always the case. Because of
religious reasons, women were supposed to be reserved and subservient towards their husbands. It
was not until the early–mid 19th century that women gained enough ground to begin discussing
women's rights in the United States. They gained basic rights for a less subservient life style;
marriage became a thing of love not obligation. The second wave of feminism came in the 1960s
when women saw the opportunity to become completely equal with men in the United States. Out of
this third wave came several groups of feminists. The feminist movement in the United States has
changed almost incredibly from the call for basic rights to a call past equality, ... Show more content
One argument is on the wage gap; "Women are employed, but they make about 76 cents to a man's
dollar and make up the majority of Americans living in poverty" (For Women). This analysis does
not take into consideration but one detail of the people's lives that the average wage covers. Women
take time off for pregnancy and child care while men on average do not leave for a period as long as
what women take for children. Once that is taken into consideration the gap shrinks to 95 cents per
ever dollar a man makes (The Truth). This five cent gap is caused by education differences and labor
capabilities. Women in America are so successful that they have powerful political positions, like
Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. In fact the recent growth in female ambassadors has been
dubbed "The Hillary effect" carrying the idea that Hillary Clinton has opened gates for women in
the political field to show how good women are in politics (For

Palace Walk : Diverse Communities Project
Palace Walk – Diverse Communities Project
This essay will take a look into how patriarchal power manifests' itself in the family and in the larger
society, what its effects are upon the women, men, boys and girls in the book 'Palace Walk' (N,
Mahfouz 1991). By taking a look into the significant responses that the Egyptians have had to
British colonial power and how patriarchal power is in conflict with core Islamic values. It will also
divulge into what the key ideas are of Muslim thinkers who are working to reduce the impact that
patriarchy has on the practice of Islam. By using the book Palace Walk (N, Mahfouz 1991) this
essay will delve into how the Egyptians respond to the British colonial power. By looking into
theories such as 'women and power' the oppression of women and learnt behaviours that lead them
to being oppressed
Patriarchy is a social system; males are the superior gender and have authority over females who are
the subordinate gender. However within patriarchy there are hierarchies. This means that not only do
men have a higher position then women but also over other men of which are usually younger. In a
patriarchal family the men hold authority over women, children, and property. A woman who is
attached to an upper–class man has a better life in a material sense than lower–class men and
women, but she may be physically or emotionally abused. If she displeases her father or husband
she can find herself relegated almost overnight to a life of poverty or

Women Need Feminism? If So, What Kind?
uslim women need feminism? If so, what kind?
In this essay I will be arguing whether Muslim Women need feminism, and if so, what kind? The
term feminism is a set of beliefs that recognises the distinction between males and females.
Feminism is largely concerned with the idea that females are subordinated or disadvantaged in a
system where males are dominated and advantaged. The term Muslim is derived by Islam, which is
a belief and practice, and it indicates safety and peace. The different perspective between the
western and eastern women, have led the west to create an idea that Muslim women need feminism.
As the rights of women in the Middle East have systematically been denied. Many governments
control and restrict the civil society. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It argues that the legal and social inequality, has caused a double standards. As women in Muslim
countries witness unequal laws and unequal applications. Women have fewer say and rights in
marriage, divorce and even property. For instance, in Lebanon, access to divorce for men is easy
whilst access to divorce for a women is very difficult, as battered women cannot report for divorce,
in accords to the abuse without an eyewitness, also a medical certificate from a doctor for her
physical abuse is not enough. However, this has changed over the years, as women in Egypt can
divorce without a cause. But in order for the women to divorce, she will have to agree with
procedures. For example, they must agree to "not only to renounce all rights to the couple's finances,
but must also repay their dowries." This means any women seeking to divorce, needs to buy their
freedom. As a result of this, Muslim women needs feminism, a kind of feminism that fits into the
Middle East culture and values, also that makes laws fairer.
If fairer laws were put into practice, this would reduce the numbers of females at the age of 16 that
are forced into marriages. For many girls marriage is the only available option, as in many Muslim
countries they are restricted from education, politics and economy. This as a whole affects women,
in terms of participating in society, not being able to work, and even not allowing independent
women to exist. As a result of women not being able to financial

My Understanding Of Feminism

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