A Closer Look | Women’s Rights in the Middle East

In the recently released book, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, by John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, one of the many notable findings is that Muslim women do want equal rights in their societies. Along these same lines, a few studies have just been published that explore women’s roles and rights in an Islamic/Middle East context.

Courtesy of Chris Blattman’s blog, a new paper in the American Political Science Review argues that oil production, not Islam, undermines the development of women’s rights in the Middle East and other places. Briefly, Michael Ross of UCLA argues that women’s participation in the formal labor force drives the development of women’s rights, but that oil production crowds out local manufacturing and hence job opportunities for women. The result is stunted growth of women’s rights.

Beyond the moral imperative for women’s rights, a new report released by RAND Corporation, entitled “Women and Nation Building”, asserts that women’s participation in post-conflict nation-building is a critical element in achieving equitable and peaceful outcomes. Using Afghanistan as a case study, the report argues that a greater role for women in post-conflict settings will reduce violence, promote stability, and elevate socioeconomic development.

Finally, this op-ed on Worldpress.org echoes the potential of women, particularly Arab women, to be powerful agents of change and suggests strategies (such as forming international partnerships, fostering networking, increasing access to information, etc.) that will promote women’s economic, social, and political empowerment in the Arab world.