Implications of Religion, Culture, and Legislation for Gender Equality at Work: Qualitative Insights from Jordan

Abstract

With a view to consolidating the existing theory development and stimulating new conceptual thinking, this paper explores the implications of culture, religion (Islam) and the legal framework on women's employment and their limited advancement in the hospitality industry, one of the important elements of the economy in Jordan. A related aim is to contrast the egalitarian Islamic approach to gender equality with gender discriminatory tribal traditions that restrict women's employment and progression. Guided by religion, culture and gender literature, this study uses a qualitative, content-based analysis. Drawing on openended questionnaires distributed to a diverse workforce across four tourist locations in Jordan, the results portray how tribalism and Bedouin customs embedded in the participants' interpretation and practices of their religion (along with the existing legal framework) are maintaining gender gaps in employment and positions of power. The results also reveal that despite the Islamic guidelines towards fairness and justice (haqq and adl) in employment, the tribal and Bedouin traditions restrict women's employment through patriarchal interpretations of Islam. Thus, the salient novelty and significance of this study were achieved through contributing to the theory development of the interrelations between religion, culture and gender equality.

Equality and Gender at Work in Islam: The Case of the Berber Population of the High Atlas Mountains

“…Equality forms a fundamental component of Islamic feminism, which is grounded in the Quran (Badran, 2009). While recent studies have alluded to this body of knowledge (see, e.g., Karam & Jamali, 2013;Koburtay et al, 2018;Syed & Ali, 2019;Syed & Van Buren, 2014), a thorough engagement therewith to advance conceptions of gender equality in business ethics is missing. Islamic feminists do not critique Islam per se but the human interpretation of Islamic doctrines (Badran, 2009;Charrad, 2011;Mernissi, 1991;Mir-Hosseini, 2006;Omair, 2008).…”

“…Women in the MENA region experience the most extensive barriers to accessing work and navigating the workforce (World Bank, 2018). Prevailing social norms are often perceived to be the key barrier to women's employment (Elamin & Omair, 2010;Koburtay et al, 2018;Syed, Ali, & Hennekam, 2018). These norms are circumscribed by religious interpretations that have shaped women's position in society and their participation in the labor market.…”

“…Women continue to hold "highly variable degrees of social and employment status" (Karam & Jamali, 2013: 350;Koburtay et al, 2018), which emphasizes the difficulty of capturing and addressing inequality regimes in MMCs. Özbilgin et al (2012) explore the feasibility and challenges associated with transferring gender equality policies and practices in employment from a Western to a MMC context.…”

“…Women are perceived as holders of purity and tradition (Becker, 2010), symbolizing tribal notions of (male) honor. Koburtay et al (2018) mention similar causes of gender inequality among Bedouin tribes that intersect with Islamic interpretations of (male) honor. The Islamic precept that women should not associate with non-mahram (unrelated) men serves to reinforce notions of gender segregation across different spheres (Sadiqi, 2014).…”

“…Wide-ranging changes were made to the family law in 2004 (Salime, 2012), which included the right to self-guardianship, and made the wife and husband equal heads of the family (Sadiqi, 2010). However, the realization of these changes often hinges on their practical implementation, especially when laws are perceived as contrary to social norms (Koburtay et al, 2018).…”