The Middle Eat and the Woman Question essays

The Middle Eat and the Woman Question essays The role of women is crucial to any society's formation. Particularly in the Middle East, the correlation between gender and the nation is instrumental in the formation of the modern state. Essentially, the "Woman Question" attempts to understand the role of women within the modern state and their effect on its construction. It is not a gendered analysis but a holistic approach to understanding society in the Middle East. In following the emergence of women's movements in Egypt, Jordan, and Iran, a connection is clear: Nationalism and revolutions, or the lack thereof, have impacted women immensely. To understand the status of women in these countries, the relationship between women and the state must be established. In her examination of women's movements from 1900-1945, Ellen Fleischmann presents three thematic stages of development. The first is the awakening in which social practices that affect women are questioned. Following this awakening, is an "adoption of nationalism as a liberating discourse," which connects women's nationalist activities to their liberation. Finally, the third stage brings the evolution of state feminism. In this way, "nationalism often had a 'releasing effect' on women...through their involvement in nationalism, they developed over time an internal critique of gender relations." This framework referred to women's movements in the first half of the 20th Century. However, these stages are useful in examining the modern movements in the Middle East and how they relate to gender and the nation. Qasim Amin presents a convincing correlation between repressive government rule and the consequential treatment of women. He credits Egypt's system to authoritarian government rule, which was mirrored within the family. A repressive government led to the suppression of women within the home and society. Here the woman question is determined and overshadowed by despotic rule. The nation had its biggest impact ...