AUD School of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies Dr. Pamela Chrabieh has recently edited and published a book entitled Reeds from Red Lips on Arts and Gender in Southwestern Asia. The book includes diverse stories told through poetry and prose in English, French, Modern Standard Arabic and Lebanese, and encompasses a […]
Tag Archives: women’s rights in the Middle East
I was born a girl…
I was born a girl… “Born a girl” means being judged by my family and relatives for who enters or not “the place” – a “place” where my entire family’s value and honor lay, i.e. “between my legs”. “Between my legs” is my father’s honor, my sisters’, my uncles’, yeah everyone in my ‘tribe’. The […]
Why are women’s roles limited in Southwestern Asia?
There are multiple causes that limit women’s roles in Southwestern Asia i.e. the Middle East. The first one has to do with the historical legacy as society equated physical strength to general ability, thus relegated women to a lower status than men. This has resulted in the objectification of women in many parts of Southwestern […]
The Middle Eastern Woman's Handbook
You heralded bad news to your family the minute your mom found out she was pregnant with a girl. You could’ve been buried alive at birth. Be grateful. You must get married, you must get married, you must get married, you must- you must! The family’s entire honor is between your legs. Keep them closed. […]
Women’s Rights should be Prioritized and Addressed
In an era where robots are sense-perceptive, mobile phones have 3D touch capabilities, and cars can drive with little human interference, it disappoints me to see how little opportunities to grow or be identified as an equal the MENA*[1] region has presented for women. As an Arab woman, I myself have seen the struggles women […]
It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
My name is Fatiha, I am Moroccan, and I am a big fan of this blog and your work. A source of inspiration and hope for women in the Middle East and North Africa. My story is a ‘regular’ one in this part of the world, being discriminated at all levels, especially in my workplace […]
Battered …Still Undefeated
To wear your love… Thorns that crown my head and glide your ring… A noose around my neck To bear your seed… A burden in my womb To carve your name… A curse upon my tomb. To share your faith But demonize your God And quench this thirst That I have long begot. […]
Women… Bring Back Love!
I thought you would never know my fears… My darkness and those places in between… Battered, rejected, ignored, undeserving of your sight Voiceless, locked under armors of discipline and social politeness Motionless, restrained movements, tied up with dos and don’ts Separated from within: soul, mind, and body Ripped away from the inner self How can […]
Why Gender Equality is important? My opinion
Gender Discrimination has always been a rather pressing and important matter which has been discussed by many around the world but was never given the care and true value it deserved in the Middle East for example. While it is true that in some countries—mainly developed countries—women have become equal to men (and they fight […]
“Women’s Rights”: Cute Han?
Lebanon, July 4th 2013, Rim Zakaria and Zaynab Awada fled their abusive husbands to take part in a press conference organized by the NGO KAFA-enough violence and exploitation… China, 2011, Wu Hei (which isn’t her real name), a successful woman who earns almost one million rmb (around 150 000$) walks out of an abusive marriage […]