In nations that are known for their repressive treatment of women more and more women entrepreneurs are coming out of the Middle East. Muslim women throughout the Middle East have been slowly advancing in both leadership and business. From nations where women are under extremely strict, repressive laws women are rising up in the workforce. Laws have been put into place that offer women more rights and opportunities to advance in business and politics. “King Abdallah has instituted some changes in the country that break with tradition. Politically, allowing women to vote and run for office is somewhat of a break with sharia law. “ (Penn State Lesson 7) Arab women currently only make up 5% of the workforce in the Middle East yet make up 35% of tech entrepreneurs. Women in the Middle East have turned to alternative work methods in order to balance both religious and familial obligations and business goals.
Women are able to maintain their traditional responsibilities while working in tech. Although the Quran teaches that men and women are spiritually equal there are specific gender responsibilities. According to the Quran, women are to focus on family needs, tending to the home where men focus on creating income for the family. The idea is that there is a balance fulfills all the needs of the family. “Women in many Islamic societies are expected to marry, obey their husbands, bring up children, stay at home, and avoid participation in public life.” (BBC) Muslim women are not necessarily opposing the values in the Quran, or their role in society rather they are adopting jobs that will allow them to do both. Entrepreneur Sally Sabry, states “Even before wearing niqab, I wanted to work. I mean it was in my mind; I wasn’t closed that I have to get married and sit at home or anything. I want to have a goal and make it.”(BBC) It’s not uncommon for husbands to demand that their wives stay at home. By working in tech from home, women feel they are are able to fulfill their entrepreneurship ambitions while adhering to cultural expectations.
Working behind computer screens allows women to combat gender inequality and sexual harassment. According to the BBC news, “surveys say many Middle Eastern women face some form of sexual harassment every day.” This is often times physical harassment and is seen regardless of how covered the women is. Working from home offers women the protection they need. BBC News interviewed rising women in tech, One panelist notes, “It’s sometimes hard to get taken seriously, try telling a male employee that he has made a mistake. It’s extremely difficult.”
Although Middle Eastern regions have a large way to go to achieve gender equality, women in tech are paving the way for future generations for women in business. Muslim tech entrepreneur Sarah Abu Alia states, “As a woman, you have to fight for everything here, which is a great preparation for being an entrepreneur.” Sarah is the founder of ArtMedium a channel for alternative Arab music. Education, legislation, and ambition will change Middle Eastern Society.
Works Cited
Egypt’s sexual harassment of women ‘epidemic’ (2012, September 03). Retrieved February 26, 2017, from
(2013, July 26). Why the Middle East is Beating Out the World in Female Tech Entrepreneurs. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. New York, NY: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University, World Wide Campus. (2017) OLEAD 410. Lesson 7: The Middle East focus on Saudi Arabia
I hear a lot of criticism of various world views and many are from people who have their own popular world view. What I find interesting is how devout some of these people are and how secular some of these people are. Many who claim to be religious do not practice some of the basic tenets of their faith. Now I know the first response is to call these people hypocritical for not practicing what they preach. However, I have found in my own experience that most really believe what they say. I find out that most of what they understand comes from television or from other individuals who also attend the same religious services. I find myself telling these folks that you should not judge a world view by the actions of those who practice it. If someone wants to learn more about a worldview, then they should read about that worldview to determine for themselves what the doctrine truly teaches.
In the case this week, we are discussing Islam and people who practice it. There is a pervasive message that Muslims want to destroy western civilization, however, I don’t find that to be true for most Muslims. In fact, of the 1.6 Billion Muslims in the world, less than one percent are or will be radicalized (LaCasse, 2015). The rest are wanting to live in peace and while we are led to believe that the entire Muslim religion wants to denigrate women, that is just not the case. Yes, there are instructions in the Koran for women to dress modestly and some countries there are beliefs that women should be dressed extremely conservative (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). However, that does not mean that those conservative systems are radical.
Women have made great strides in countries that are predominantly Muslim. In Brunei, women outnumber men at the university. They drive cars and hold senior offices in private and public sectors (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). There are conservative Jewish beliefs and conservative Christian beliefs that women are subordinate to men. While there are some locations in their texts that may reference this, there are other texts that show women in prominent positions in public or are used by God for great purposes.
I believe that women are going to continue to make strides in all facets of world views. It starts with reading about the plight of what has taken place and the public world declaring how it needs to change.
References
LaCasse, A. (2015, January 13). How many Muslim extremists are there? Just the facts, please. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/terrorism-security/2015/0113/How-many-Muslim-extremists-are-there-Just-the-facts-please
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.