Arab Women Research Articles

Empowering vs empowered: factors shaping women’s workplace empowerment in the Qatari public sector

PurposeDespite several policies in the Arab Gulf States aimed at promoting women’s empowerment through employment, women’s career progress has not met the expected gains. Workplace empowerment is a critical aspect of women’s economic empowerment. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the factors that contribute to workplace empowerment for women in the Qatari public sector.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a mixed-methods approach to explore workplace empowerment among female civil servants in the State of Qatar. The study combines surveys (N = 310) and interviews (N = 30) and uses an inductive thematic approach that considers women’s narratives as the primary source of knowledge construction.FindingsThe authors’ findings strongly suggest that perception-related factors have a more significant impact on workplace empowerment than structural ones. The results indicate that feelings of disempowerment are influenced by perceptions of gender-based discrimination, poor relationships with supervisors and dissatisfaction with work–life balance. Women feel empowered when they have access to decision-making opportunities and perceive that their workplace supports their professional growth and advancement.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this paper focuses solely on women’s perceptions, additional research is necessary to compare the experiences of both men and women regarding workplace empowerment. While individual and organizational factors were examined in this paper, future studies should also consider societal factors. The results highlight the importance of equal and supportive organizational practices and cultures to foster empowerment among women in the workplace, providing valuable insights for policymakers.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a critical research gap on the intersection of gender, work and management in the Middle East. It responds to the need for more diverse contextual research on Arab women’s work experiences and provides methodological diversity by using an exploratory, mixed-methods design with a grounded approach. The study highlights the interaction between structural and psychological factors, emphasizing the gap between policies and resources and women’s lived experiences and perceptions of workplace empowerment.

Arab Women at the Police Station in Israel: Cultural Crisis and Empowerment.

In the collectivist Arab society, seeking police intervention violates a cultural norm. This qualitative study was based on in-depth interviews with 12 Muslim Arab abused women, who sought help at police stations where police officers and social workers cooperate. Interviews analysis revealed a conflict between the women's desire to stop the violence and the implications of violating cultural norms. Interviewees' emotions ranging from a positive sense of empowerment to negative feelings derived from insensitive, alienating conduct. The encounters with social workers empowered the women in facing social pressures. The discussion focuses on the meaning of integrating the police and welfare services in a collectivist-patriarchal community in a society with a dominant individualist orientation.

Of resistance to patriarchy and occupation through a virtual bazaar: an institutional theory critique of the emancipatory potential of Palestinian women’s digital entrepreneurship

ABSTRACT This study explores how institutional contexts and digital technologies influence women’s digital entrepreneurship and emancipation potential in the conflict-laden, Arab country-specific context of Palestine. Drawing on insights from Institutional Theory and emancipation literature, we capitalize on in-depth, semi-structured online interviews with Palestinian women entrepreneurs. Accordingly, we present empirical evidence demonstrating that while digital technologies enabled Palestinian women to launch their enterprises, the unsupportive institutional contexts confined them to home-based, feminine enterprises and subjected them to a toll of additional challenges, health issues and hostility. Our findings challenge the claim that digital entrepreneurship emancipates women by showcasing the context-specific nature of emancipation. This paper advances entrepreneurship research by demonstrating how Arab women’s digital entrepreneurship unfolds at the intersection between emancipatory enablers and unique, conflict-laden regulatory, normative, and cultural-cognitive institutional pillars.

Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome by ultrasound and it's relation with endometrial hyperplasic and depression

BackgroundOne of the most prevalent endocrine illnesses, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), affects 4-8% of women of reproductive age over the world. There are 16% of Saudi Arabian women have PCOS. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PCOS among females in Saudi Arabia and to analyze the relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome, endometrial hyperplasia and depression. MethodsA cross-sectional study of patients with PCOS was conducted at King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAAUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two questionnaires were filled by participants who came to Ultrasound department at KAAUH. ResultsA 288 patients diagnosed and suggestive to have PCOS. Patient with diabetics, hyper-tensive, and those who had heart disease were excluded. Including participants were 73 diagnosed and suggestive to have PCOS. Most of them had an irregular pattern (85.8%), (17.3%) had oligo-menorrhea, and 5.5% had menorrhagia. Most of them (68.5%) had ovaries diameters more than 9 28 mm, and 31.5% had normal ovaries. When participants were asked about trouble falling asleep, interrupted sleep, or sleeping more than usual, 23.2% said they suffered from them nearly daily. ConclusionThe incidence of PCOS was significantly associated with irregular menses. In addition, there was a significant association between the size of the ovary in ultrasound and previous 32 diagnosis with PCOS, otherwise no significant association between the remaining items.

Power of the Saudi Woman's Novel From Silence to Empowerment

Against the backdrop of an extended history of Arab women’s silence in general, and Saudi women’s in particular, in the field of literature, this paper seeks to introduce the development of the Saudi female novelist’s voice and its progress. It traces the improvement of the Saudi female novelist chronologically, demonstrating how writing is an essential tool for self-identification and self-expression. An analysis is made of how novels by Saudi women writers have changed through recent decades and how Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's 2030 Vision initiative might be said to have empowered these voices expressed in fictional words. It introduces the significance of Saudi female novels and how they create new fictional environments that uncover the inner strength of women and highlight their individual and collective empowerment. This paper demonstrates how Saudi female novelists have been fully aware of the significant influence of novels as one artistic means of expression. Today, they can openly express their previously unspoken thoughts and feelings. Moreover, the paper addresses the important implications of their writing, i.e. the remarkable progress achieved in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Fenomena Jilboobs di Kalangan Remaja: Studi Pemaknaan Hijab dalam Perspektif Tafsir Modern

Along with the development of the fashion world of the country, especially the fashion of Muslim women, the model of wearing jilbabpun turned into a fashionable hijab. Starting from this fashionable hijab jilboobs phenomenon arose around 2014 which was discussed on social media, such as facebook and twitter until today is still a trend in hijab. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the rise of the phenomenon of jilboobs among adolescents. This type of research is included in the type of library research, characterized by focusing the source of the object of study on library data, both primary and secondary sources. The results of the study that the hijab is something that serves to protect and maintain the honor of women. Based on surah Al-Ahzab/33. 59 and surah an-Nur/24: 31. This verse is related to the custom of arab women during the time of the Qur'an, namely the lack of attention to modesty/fairness in dress/ behavior. The concept of hijab is a concept that regulates biological functions and partnership relationships between men and women associated with dress and ethics. This study has implications for young Muslim women and prospective mufassir in the future in order to continue to explore the scientific field, especially the field of interpretation that speaks of hijab issues while maintaining gender boundaries, promoting the benefit of the Ummah, without forgetting the text, context and contextualization of reality and the development of historical traditions.

Ruling by Wife

Abstract Research on the powers or roles of first ladies in authoritarian Arab states suffers from two gaps. First, there are always attempts to homogenize women under which the president’s spouse is simply subsumed within categories such as “Arab women,” “Muslim women,” or “Egyptian women.” Second, literature explaining the dynamics of authoritarian durability has mainly focused on what is institutional, for instance, the army, legislature, and political parties. This article focuses on a single woman as part of the toolbox authoritarian leaders use to maintain power and as part of their political expediency. It uses quantitative and qualitative methods to track the progression of the roles of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s wife, Suzanne Mubarak, and the manifestations of these roles in the state media throughout Mubarak’s rule (1981–2011). The frame analysis of 1,339 articles found this progression to be linear; that is, Suzanne Mubarak moved from traditional ceremonial roles in the 1980s to policy-oriented ones in the 1990s to political roles, even acting as “copresident” in the 2000s. Through interviews, the data-based findings are contextualized within historically conditioned challenges facing the regime, such as relations with Islamists, the adoption of neoliberal economic policies, and Hosni Mubarak’s frail health in the final years of his rule.

اكتئاب ما بعد الوالدة وعالقته بالمساندة االجتماعية لدى النساء العربيات بمنطقة النقب

The study aimed at identifying the relationship between postpartum depression and social support among Arab women in the Negev region. The correlational descriptive approach was used to investigate the research questions. A 301 women who gave birth at least once responded to the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Social Support Scale. The results showed that (57.8%) of the sample had depressive symptoms above average, the social support was moderate as viewed by the participants. In addition, the study revealed differences in postpartum depression due to the gender of newborn child in favor of females; number of births in favor of the fifth and over; and the economic status in favor of (medium) and (low). Moreover, childbirth type in favor of (natural); differences in social supports due to the gender of the child in favor of males; number of births in favor of the third birth; economic status in favor of (excellent); type of childbirth in favor of (cesarean). The results showed negative relationship between postpartum depression and social support. The study suggested several recommendations.

Knowledge, Perception, and Acceptance of HPV Vaccination and Screening for Cervical Cancer among Saudi Females: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Cervical cancer (CC) ranks as the eighth most prevalent malignancy in Saudi Arabian women of all ages. This cross-sectional study intends to assess women's knowledge, perceptions, and acceptance concerning HPV vaccination and CC screening in Saudi Arabia as well as the contributing variables to women's screening and vaccine acceptability. Data were collected between 1 April 2023 and 30 May 2023 through online questionnaires. Out of 421 responses, 70% of the studied sample had fair knowledge, and 30% had good knowledge related to cervical cancer screening and vaccine. Only 1.9% of the participants had a positive perception, while 41% of the participants had a negative perception toward cervical cancer screening and vaccine. A total of 38% of the participants were fearful of the side effects of the vaccine, while 22.2% doubted the effectiveness of the vaccine. Acceptance was much better correlated with perception (Rho = 0.47) than with knowledge (Rho = 0.177). However, this correlation remains weak. We conclude that Saudi women still have a poor understanding or impression of cervical cancer and prevention methods. Fear of the vaccination's negative effects and skepticism about the effectiveness of the vaccine/screening have recently been the most often-mentioned hurdles to vaccine uptake.

Assessment of the Attitudes, Beliefs, and Potential Effects of Nutritional Phytoestrogenic Plant Consumption on Women's Health in Saudi Arabia.

Phytoestrogens are plant-derived endocrine-disrupting chemicals known as estrogen-like compounds with health and preventive benefits. This study aimed to assess Saudi Arabian women's beliefs and attitudes towardphytoestrogen-rich plant consumption and its association with hormone-sensitive tumors and diseases. A cross-sectional study was carried out between November 2022 and May 2023 in Saudi Arabiausing an online self-administered questionnaire created via Google Forms (Appendix). The collected data were extracted, coded, and analyzed using the IBM Corp. Released 2012. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. The study included 702 females aged 18 years and older. 61.6% (n=432) of the participants consumedTrigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), whereas 45.7% (n=321) consumed soy products and flaxseeds. In addition, 44.7% (n=191) were diagnosed with breast tumors and other breast diseases. The association between the occurrence of breast conditions and the consumption of all the different types of phytoestrogen-rich plants in this study was significant, with a p-value of <0.001. (41.7%, n=187) diagnosed with uterine and ovarian-related conditions, the association with the consumption of fenugreek and fennel was significant with a p-value of <0.001, but for soy products and flaxseed consumption, the association was not significant with a p-value of 0.368. Regarding the consumer's attitudes and duration of consumption, most of them (41.0%, n=288) consume phytoestrogen-rich herbs and plants about every month during menstruation, and 55% (n=386) consumed phytoestrogen-rich plants a long time ago (for many years). About the purpose of consumption, 62.1% (n=436) answered to reduce pain and symptoms associated with menstruation. The majority of the participants (36.3%, n=255) have poor knowledge and don't know about the high estrogen levels' impact on their health. The study showed that there is a possible association between the consumption of some types of phytoestrogen-rich plants and the occurrence of several hormone-related tumors and diseases. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible effects in consideration of the co-founding factors.

The experiences of Palestinian Arabs with disabilities in Israel

PurposeIsrael ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and has subsequently worked towards putting disability-empowering policies and facilities in place. This study explores the experiences of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel with disabilities in everyday life including education, employment and accessing disability facilities and services.Design/methodology/approachThis study explores the challenges and experiences of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a disparate group of Arab men and women with various forms of disabilities.FindingsThis research indicates that Arabs with disabilities are either unable to access them or do so with great difficulty relative to their Jewish counterparts. The findings suggest that this is due to one of two reasons: first is institutional discrimination by Jewish and Arab staff, and second is structural discrimination as facilities and services are specifically designed for the Jewish majority and their areas of residence as opposed to Arab residential areas.Originality/valueGuided by intersectional theory, this article explores how the multiple identities of Arabs with disabilities living in Israel are co-constituted and ordered by different social and political structures which inform their daily lived experiences. This research illustrates that in Jewish politics and institutions, Arabs with disabilities in Israel are “otherised” by being flatly identified as Palestinians; yet, within their Arab communities, they are “otherised” by being reduced solely to their disability. This article examines how this variation in ordering and reduction can lead to specific experiences and forms of discrimination that requires multi-dimensional approaches and ways forward.

Women’s activism as public relations in a patriarchal society: The case of Kuwait

This paper addresses an important era of women’s activism in Kuwait. In the 1950s, when the government recognized women’s rights for education, the wave to obtain other civil rights clashed with culture, tradition and religion which became serious obstacles facing women in their struggle for basic rights. This historical study focuses on the establishment of two women’s organizations -- the Arab Women’s Development Society in December 1962 and the Kuwait Women's Cultural and Social Society in February 1963. To sway the negative image of women in a patriarchal society, women used activism as a public relations tool to achieve their social, civil and political rights. The study uses cultural-economic model (CEM) to illustrate how activism and public relations were articulated as synonymous to foster women’s rights in Kuwait. Archived documents and content analysis of media content published in the 1960s reveal that activism played a vital role as a public relations strategy and that social activism was more effective than political activism. The study highlights the implications of culture within the context of both public relations and activism.

Disparities in cervical cancer screening among Arabic-speaking women refugees

ABSTRACT Objectives Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers among females and one of the top causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Minority women are disproportionately more vulnerable. This study addressed disparities in cervical cancer screening among Arabic-speaking women refugees. Design We conducted a cross-sectional study using qualitative and quantitative research methods at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States of America (USA). A structured phone-based survey was developed and administered in Arabic. The study was conducted from 2018 to 2019 and involved 20 participants. Results Inequity in cervical cancer screening exists among Arab women refugees (41% being up to date with their screening) compared to their English- and Spanish-speaking counterparts (51%). These women perceived that the top three barriers to cervical cancer screening were fear of cancer, language, and lack of knowledge. The top three perceived facilitators were the doctor’s recommendation, reminders from the provider’s office, and awareness of cervical cancer screening. Conclusion Our work brings unique insights into improving preventive care services for Arabic-speaking women. These findings add unique insight focused on improving preventive care in this group and can inform interventions to increase cancer screening amongst Arabic-speaking women.

Framing Gender in the Coverage of Protests: Arab Women’s Uprisings in English and German Press

Framing Gender in the Coverage of Protests: Arab Women’s Uprisings in English and German Press

Evaluating knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward breast cancer and breast cancer screening among females in Arab countries of the Middle East: A systematic literature review.

e18761 Background: Among all types of cancer, breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females globally. Developing countries possess approximately 60% to 70% of all worldwide breast cancer deaths. Despite the increasing efforts to expand awareness and encourage screening, breast cancer is still the most frequently diagnosed form of the disease in Arab countries. In this study, we aim to systematically review the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of middle-eastern Arab women toward the recognition of early breast cancer symptoms, risk factors, and screening. Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus to identify relevant literature. Search terms included “Knowledge” OR “attitude” OR “practice” AND “breast cancer” AND “Arab region” OR “middle east region”, and other relevant and equivalent terms. All English language studies which achieved the inclusion criteria were included. Each article was independently screened by two researchers in two levels (title/abstract and full-text screening). Data extracted included, but was not limited to, country, study design, study population, sample size, level of knowledge, attitudes, practices, conclusions, and limitations for each study. Results: Out of the 1182 publications identified, 14 cross-sectional studies were included with respondents aged 15 and above. Study populations varied from females attending healthcare centers, to country residents and students. Five studies reported the level of overall BC knowledge, where respondents with low levels of knowledge ranged from 19.7% to 67%. The most chosen risk factors for BC were personal or family history (n = 5), and prior radiation (n = 2). A breast lump or mass was the most chosen warning sign (n = 5), followed by an armpit lump (n = 2). Regarding screening, women who had ever performed breast self-examination (BSE) ranged from 30.3% in Yemen to 57.5% in Oman, while those who consistently performed BSE ranged from 17.4% to 27.9%. Women who had ever undergone mammography ranged from 1.6% to 40%. Barriers to screening included system-related barriers (n = 2), feeling healthy (n = 2), fear of the results (n = 2), and others. Better screening practices were mostly associated with a higher level of education (n = 5), and personal or family history (n = 4). Conclusions: The majority of Arab women in the middle east had heard about breast cancer, but had a low level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward breast cancer and its screening methods, which was also variable among different counties. Multiple barriers to screening were found. Such findings can raise the need for programs that elevate knowledge, and provide accessible screening programs that solve for the barriers to screening in the Arab region.

Beauty and the Patriarchy: Ibtisam Mara'ana's Lady Kul El-Arab (2008)

ABSTRACT: Leveraging the discourse of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Ibtisam Ma'arana uses the vehicle of the beauty pageant to consider the pressures on Arab and Druze women in Israeli society. In her documentary Lady Kul El-Arab (2008) she follows Druze Duah Fares as she participates in a small regional Arab contest and then competes in the national Miss Israel event. While the coverage of beauty competitions and the conventions of films and television programs about them have long considered the tension between female self-empowerment and exploitation, this film disrupts the usual narrative, instead drawing greater attention to nationalism and the identity politics which pageants signify. When Fares is forbidden to participate, Mara'ana shows how patriarchal structures employ modes of control and oppression, including threats of ostracization, violence and murder (under the guise of honor killings) to enforce women's submission. As a public and political figure, who has used her own positionality as a Palestinian woman and Israeli citizen to criticize both Israeli authorities and the treatment of women in Arab society, Mara'ana is implicated in the film. This connection is further cemented when she becomes the family's spokesperson three years after the release of the documentary when Fare's sister Jamila (known as Maya) is killed. This article explores the overlapping conflicts that emerge when a woman from a conservative society participates in a pageant and the particular situation of a Druze woman in Israel as depicted in Mara'ana's documentary.

Effects of the removal of Arab children from their homes by court order: The mothers’ perspectives

Arab women in East Jerusalem live in a traditional, patriarchal society with most women fulfilling traditional roles as wives and mothers. They are also part of the national ethnic minority, forming a unique cultural and political context. There is scant research on the experiences and perceptions of mothers whose children are removed from home to residential or foster care, with very little research on this topic in the Arab population. Here we examined the effects of removing children to out-of-home settings both for reasons of child abuse and/or neglect and due to custody disputes on personal, familial and social aspects of the lives of Arab mothers in East Jerusalem. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 mothers with at least one child removed from home for a period of more than four years through an Israeli court order. The women described a broad range of effects, such as emotional distress and effects on their health. They experienced increased violence against them from members of their birth family or their family by marriage. They also experienced social ostracism and were criticized as seeking an opportunity to abandon their roles as mothers. These experiences added to the background of abuse that these women had experienced all their lives. The role as mother is central to social expectations in traditional society, and removal of the children is seen as a failure in fulfilling this role. The research reveals the need to tailor interventions to the special characteristics of these women, to empower them and help them recover their wellbeing.

The Arab Woman in Confrontation with The Forbidden Trinity

The oppressive reality of the Arab woman has undoubtedly made Arab feminist literature its own features. The woman's search for freedom is undoubtedly more able to express her injustice and oppression than the man because she suffers most from tyranny and oppression. Thus, feminist literature is the best experience for the woman to extract her rights, restore her deprived freedom through writing, raise her voice and exercise the freedom of expression that she has been deprived of for so long. She took out her pen and started "talking like Shahrazad", reveʿAling with her tongue her experiences and desires, and expressing her concerns and pains. In recent years, she is no longer writing to defend what has been stolen from her demanding change and freedom. Writing for her is no longer a defensive device, but an offensive system in which she condemns and retʿAliates against the man. In her revolutionary feminist narrative, she demonstrated her offensive tendency against all the taboos of the forbidden trinity: politics, religion, and sex, and demonstrated a clear challenge to social norms as well as the literary norms that were established by the masculine establishment. This study, therefore, shows how Arab women writers are able to break the forbidden pillars of the Forbidden Trinity by presenting each other's experiences and testimonies in their quest to challenge this oppressing trinity and to face its censorship powers.

Arab women’s transnational cinema’s ‘flips’: The Man Who Sold His Skin (Ben Hania, 2021)

ABSTRACT Given the various migrations across the Mediterranean in this postcolonial age, transnational women feminist filmmakers from the Maghreb have sometimes displaced the foci of their filmic narratives outside the borders of Algeria, Morocco, or Tunisia. Rather than denouncing the weight of heteropatriarchy on the condition of women at home, they turn their attention to globalization and its ills and film new stories, aesthetics, politics, and diverse protagonists – including men – from realities outside the Maghreb. One such film is Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin (2021), about a Syrian man migrating to Belgium. The analysis this fecund case-study at the intersection of migration, art installation, cinema, and exploitation in the age of late capitalism, examines possible directions for future transnational filmmaking, possible shifts in cinema audience(s) and screening venues, especially in a post-Covid 19 era. Ben Hania’s unique feminist perspective also translates cinematographically in a novel way of filming transnationality.

The Experience of Pregnancy and Childbirth Overshadowed by Obstetric Violence and Structural Barriers of the Israeli Health System from the Perspective of Arab and Jewish Women.

The aim of this study was to give a voice to Arab and Jewish women in Israel who had suffered obstetric violence during various stages of fertility treatments, pregnancy, and childbirth and also to learn from the women about their experiences of obstetric violence subject to the barriers of the Israeli health system, and their recommendations of possible solutions. The study underlines the unique gender, social, and cultural context in Israel concerning pregnancy and childbirth, and was based on the feminist approach that strives to promote human rights, and eradicate phenomena of gender-related, patriarchal, and social structures. The study used a qualitative-constructivist methodology. Twenty semi-structured interviews with ten Arab women and ten Jewish women were thematically analyzed, and five main themes emerged: first, the women's experience of becoming pregnant and pregnancy overshadowed by physical and emotional barriers from caregivers and the close environment; second, the women's awareness of their bodies and needs during pregnancy dominated by the challenges of the health services; third, the women's awareness of their bodies and needs during childbirth alongside incompatible expectations and nonattentive medical staff; fourth, the women's descriptions of experiences and types of obstetric violence; and fifth, the women's recommendations to eradicate obstetric violence.