Colonial legacy, women’s rights and gender-educational inequality in the Arab World with particular reference to Egypt and Tunisia

Abstract

One aspect of the call for democracy in the recent Arab region uprisings is the issue of women's rights and gender equality. Three cultural and ideological forces have continued to shape the gender discourse in Arab Muslim-majority societies. They are: ''Islamic'' teaching and local traditions concerning women's roles in a given society; Western, European colonial perception of women's rights; and finally national gender-related policy reforms. This paper examines the past and present status of women and gender-educational inequality in the Arab world with particular reference to Egypt and Tunisia, prior to and post colonialism. Special attention is given to colonial legacy and its influence on gender and education; to current gender practices in the social sphere with a focus on women's modesty (hijab); to international policies and national responses with regard to women's rights and finally to female participation in pre-university and higher education. These issues incorporate a discussion of cultural and religious constraints. The paper demonstrates similarities and differences between Egypt's and Tunisia's reform policies towards gender parity. It highlights the confrontation of conservative versus liberal ideologies that occurred in each country with the implementation of its gender-related reform policy.Résumé Héritage colonial, droits des femmes et inégalité des sexes dans l'enseignement au sein du monde arabe, notamment en É gypte et Tunisie -L'un des aspects de la revendication démocratique exprimée lors des récentes révoltes dans le monde arabe porte sur les droits des femmes et l'égalité entre les sexes. Trois influences culturelles et idéologiques continuent à marquer le discours sur l'égalité des sexes dans les sociétés arabes à majorité musulmane : l'enseignement « islamique » et les traditions locales quant aux rôles des femmes dans une société donnée ; la perception occidentale, reposant sur la colonisation européenne, des droits des femmes ; enfin, les réformes des politiques nationales relatives à l'égalité des sexes. Les auteurs de l'article examinent le statut ancien et actuel des femmes ainsi que l'inégalité des sexes dans l'enseignement du monde arabe, en se référant en particulier à l'É gypte et à la Tunisie, et ce avant et après le colonialisme. Ils se penchent notamment sur les aspects suivants : l'héritage colonial et son influence sur l'égalité des sexes dans l'enseignement ; les pratiques actuelles d'égalité des sexes dans la sphère sociale en abordant en particulier la pudeur féminine (hijab) ; les politiques internationales relatives aux droits des femmes et leurs réponses nationales ; enfin, la participation féminine à l'enseignement préuni-versitaire et supérieur. Ces thèmes induisent une discussion sur les contraintes culturelles et religieuses. L'article illustre les similitudes et les différences entre les politiques réformatrices en faveur de la parité des sexes en É gypte et en Tunisie. Il éclaire la confrontation des idéologies conservatrices et libérales, qui survient dans...

Women’s mental health: acute impact of COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence

“…Since Tunisia’s independence in 1956, the country’s policy had been geared towards empowering women and protecting their rights. Nonetheless, and even though Tunisia is often praised for its remarkable achievements for women in terms of constitutional human rights (Megahed and Lack 2011 ), gender-based violence persists and continues to be a major problem rooted in the Tunisian society, as in most Eastern and Western societies alike.…”

Documenting Syrian Refugee Children’s Memories: Methodological Insights and Further Questions

“…Their preference reflected social norms in Arab societies, where most social gatherings are gender-segregated. Children in most Arab countries go to separate girls' and boys' schools, and where this is not possible their seating arrangement is gender-segregated (Megahed & Lack, 2011). Their grouping by gender seemed to reduce the dominance of male voices and appeared to make the girls confident in reading out their autobiographies.…”

Recreational Reading in the Arab World: A Critical Review of the Arab Reading Index (ARI)

“…Of the factors influencing an individual child's educational prospects in the Arab world, the most important is that of gender and as discussed above, this is more apparent in rural areas. The Arab countriesdespite recent improvement-maintain the characteristic of the world's highest levels of gender disparity in education (Megahed & Lack, 2011). The most significant reason for this attribute is the generally low status of women throughout the region, which is generally associated with the dominant patriarchal culture (Colclough et al, 2000;Smits, 2007;Moghadam, 2004).…”