Womanpower The Arab Debate on Women at Work [Paperback]

Relevant political and economic developments from specific countries explain the reasons for the slow and uneven progress of social change with respect to the position of women in the modern Arab world.Relevant political and economic developments from specific countries explain the reasons for the slow and uneven progress of social change with respect to the position of women in the modern Arab world.Womanpower unveils the lively but little-reported debate on women's positions in the modern Arab world. It paints a picture drawn from individual stories as well as from national development programs and attempts to explain why the process of social change in the region has been slow and uneven by linking it to political and economic developments. By illustrating particular themes--personal status laws, development policies, political rights--with examples from specific countries, Nadia Hijab builds up an informative overview of the Arab world today.List of tables; Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. The great family law debate; 2. Cross-currents conservative and liberal; 3. Arab women in the workforce; 4. Jordanian women's liberating forces: inflation and labour migration; 5. The Arab Gulf states: demand but no supply; 6. Power past and future; Bibliography; Index.