Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf

<p dir="ltr">In this chapter, we challenge the dominant perspective that views the ‘universalization’ of the international agenda on women’s empowerment as the only way for states to both promote women’s rights and be seen as a legitimate modern state. Our study provides a comparativ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Melissa Langworthy (17963426) (author)
Other Authors: Rabia Naguib (17884538) (author)
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1864513527449911296
author Melissa Langworthy (17963426)
author2 Rabia Naguib (17884538)
author2_role author
author_facet Melissa Langworthy (17963426)
Rabia Naguib (17884538)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Melissa Langworthy (17963426)
Rabia Naguib (17884538)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023-12-23T00:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/chapter/Through_the_Eye_of_the_Needle_Lessons_in_Women_s_Empowerment_and_Public_Policy_from_the_Arab_Gulf/25218167
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Human society
Anthropology
Gender studies
Policy and administration
Sociology
Public policy
Arab Gulf
Contextual embeddedness
Economic empowerment
Gender
Neoliberal discourse
Comparative study
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Chapter
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
description <p dir="ltr">In this chapter, we challenge the dominant perspective that views the ‘universalization’ of the international agenda on women’s empowerment as the only way for states to both promote women’s rights and be seen as a legitimate modern state. Our study provides a comparative analysis of public policies and gender data from the six Arab Gulf nations (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) to examine the situation of women’s empowerment in the Arab Gulf region. We argue that the persistence of neoliberal capitalist frameworks and Western-defined human rights strategies has perpetuated orientalist discourses that contrast Arab cultures with Western ones. We assert that the international women’s agenda, by emphasizing neoliberal ideals, overlooks and devalues contexts where progress is not measured in individual terms, but rather requires prioritizing the family and household in women’s economic pursuits. Through this lens, we present Arab Gulf policy frameworks as important and effective strategies that prioritize the provision of care, support for work-life reconciliation, and the freedom to pursue progress for women who have different life goals beyond the neoliberal framework.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Women's Empowerment and Public Policy in the Arab Gulf States : Exploring Challenges and Opportunities<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See chapter on publisher's website: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_2d635d883f4263e054d7d8d1fd15af63
identifier_str_mv 10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/25218167
publishDate 2023
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository_id_str
rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab GulfMelissa Langworthy (17963426)Rabia Naguib (17884538)Human societyAnthropologyGender studiesPolicy and administrationSociologyPublic policyArab GulfContextual embeddednessEconomic empowermentGenderNeoliberal discourseComparative study<p dir="ltr">In this chapter, we challenge the dominant perspective that views the ‘universalization’ of the international agenda on women’s empowerment as the only way for states to both promote women’s rights and be seen as a legitimate modern state. Our study provides a comparative analysis of public policies and gender data from the six Arab Gulf nations (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) to examine the situation of women’s empowerment in the Arab Gulf region. We argue that the persistence of neoliberal capitalist frameworks and Western-defined human rights strategies has perpetuated orientalist discourses that contrast Arab cultures with Western ones. We assert that the international women’s agenda, by emphasizing neoliberal ideals, overlooks and devalues contexts where progress is not measured in individual terms, but rather requires prioritizing the family and household in women’s economic pursuits. Through this lens, we present Arab Gulf policy frameworks as important and effective strategies that prioritize the provision of care, support for work-life reconciliation, and the freedom to pursue progress for women who have different life goals beyond the neoliberal framework.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Women's Empowerment and Public Policy in the Arab Gulf States : Exploring Challenges and Opportunities<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See chapter on publisher's website: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7</a></p>2023-12-23T00:00:00ZTextChapterinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontext10.1007/978-981-99-6006-4_7https://figshare.com/articles/chapter/Through_the_Eye_of_the_Needle_Lessons_in_Women_s_Empowerment_and_Public_Policy_from_the_Arab_Gulf/25218167CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/252181672023-12-23T00:00:00Z
spellingShingle Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
Melissa Langworthy (17963426)
Human society
Anthropology
Gender studies
Policy and administration
Sociology
Public policy
Arab Gulf
Contextual embeddedness
Economic empowerment
Gender
Neoliberal discourse
Comparative study
status_str publishedVersion
title Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
title_full Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
title_fullStr Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
title_full_unstemmed Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
title_short Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
title_sort Through the Eye of the Needle: Lessons in Women’s Empowerment and Public Policy from the Arab Gulf
topic Human society
Anthropology
Gender studies
Policy and administration
Sociology
Public policy
Arab Gulf
Contextual embeddedness
Economic empowerment
Gender
Neoliberal discourse
Comparative study