Middle East Encounters
True Stories of People and Culture that Help You Understand the Region
Women in the Middle East
By Nesreen | March 27th, 2008 | 
3 Comments » 
It’s an expansive topic so I’ll try to be brief here so I’m not pretending to cover it all. I was thinking about the amount of time, during public Encounters events, that audiences devote to asking questions about women in the Middle East. They want to know 1) as Western women traveling in the Middle East, will they be subject to endless harassment and 2) whether women in the Middle East are oppressed weaklings.
For question 1), let me assure you that Western women can travel to the Middle East, and do so safely, even while alone. Now, this of course depends on where in the Middle East we’re talking about. (Obviously No one can expect safety in Iraq). As a woman traveling in the Middle East, you need to dress modestly, be alert, appear confident, know a bit about the culture, watch your belonging and use common sense. You may be subject to some harassment. Maybe cat calls or unwanted solicitations. I wonder, could this advice not be applied to Western women traveling in Zambia, or India, or the Philippines, or Italy?
As for 2) women from the Middle East are not poor, oppressed souls. They are strong women who know how to navigate their societies. They know how to let men think they are in charge while they really run the show. To behold it is truly remarkable, but if you are looking with your lens of misconceptions you are bound only to see what you are expecting.
Middle Eastern women, I have found, are generally much more open among themselves than Western women, in female-only circles, ever would be. The topics that can be discussed, which I will not get into here, would be considered quite awkward or too presuming among, particularly American women. Yes, I guess what I’m saying is, an American woman among a group of Arab women chatting amongst themselves in a private home, she might even feel like a bit of a puritan. The American woman might be the one who feels like she is from the society that is closed, and that carries with it some notions of shame. It all depends on context. It’s a good discussion whenever it is being had, and one I’ll return to on this blog. For now, I recommend reading Betsy Hiel’s article “Clothes, Camaraderie, and Qat,” in our collection. Happy reading!
Nesreen
3 Responses to “Women in the Middle East”
Well said Miles. I hope you enjoy the rest of the stories, and share what you’ve learned with others.
I first want to thank Nesreen for taking time to write about issues of the Middle East, for I believe it is vital that all people understand other cultures and way of life around the world. The article “Women in the Middle East” does an outstanding job of conveying to readers that women do have a say in their own life. The article clearly indicates what points it is trying to make, which are the safety level for western women to travel to the Middle East and the idea of Middle Eastern women not being oppressed. Nesreen speaks of how it is perfectly safe for western women to travel to the Middle East as long as they keep in mind a few pointers such as dress, cultural acceptance, and common sense. I really like how Nesreen brings up how harassment of western women could occur anywhere including popular locations such as the Philippines and Italy. As far as Middle Eastern women being oppressed, Nesreen clearly indicates that the women are powerful and are very open with one another. She even expresses how that an American woman would feel as if she came from a closed society if she was to spend time with a group of Middle Eastern women. I strongly agree with Nesreen’s recommendation of reading “Clothes, Camaraderie, and Qat.” It is a great story that goes into the life of women and how they are treated; also I am currently working on a research project dealing with qat. The story is very interesting and gives detail about women’s lives in the Middle East. Thanks again for taking the time to write your stories, I find them fascinating.
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I love your comment about an American feeling like a Puritan among Muslim women - not what you’d expect! Yet it completely syncs with experiences I’ve had, an American invited into quick glimpses of private moments among Muslims. I surprised myself with my own reactions to those situations. One minute I want to cover myself head to toe out of deep respect for these warm, caring people and another I want to run screaming around barefoot in jeans and a tshirt to protest. Modesty in clothing and in other things is so, so relative -and as you said, depends on context. It’s confusing to try to make sense of it all, but I think if you get to a point where you are confused, that’s a good sign: it means you’ve looked past the simplified stereotypes, and you’re finally onto something. I’ve only begun your book and am looking forward to the rest!