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The question of increasing women's representation in the Middle East, particularly in Politics.

     According to the BBC, only one in four men in the Middle East believe in women’s equality in politics. The Middle East is traditionally known for conservative views on the place of women and their place in a family or relationship. In recent years women’s representation in politics has been increasing rapidly, along with the western world, however there are still many Arab Council Member States in which women are largely underrepresented in government. Although Sharia Law plays a role in the limitations of women in politics, societal oppression and pressure from male colleagues and family members are two main reasons for the lack of women in Arab politics. This stigma of women not having a place in government is symbolic of a larger issue, the lack of power that women face in Middle Eastern culture overall, and by taking steps towards further representation of women in politics, women gain further power and equality. Below, the chairs have listed several prominent Member States and their standing on this issue.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
    Until 2012, women in Saudi Arabia were not even eligible to vote, let alone take part in parliament. The reasons for such were often that not enough women had photo ID, or that there were not enough women to administer women’s only polling stations. In 2015, King Abdullah granted women the right to stand in these elections, and almost immediately 20 female candidates won their positions in municipal elections. According the World Bank, today 20% of the country’s legislative branch, or the Shura Council, is made up of women. Saudi women have also recently won the right to drive, which is a historic victory for the nation, often thought to have political and religious undertones. However, Saudi still has room for improvement in terms of gender equality, as it places 134th out of 145 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index.

Arab Republic of Egypt
    After the Arab Spring, women in Egypt seem to have an overall sense of empowerment and reauthorization of power in their community. Women are able to opening participate in political elections and parties, however religion plays a large role in Egyptian politics. However, a study done by the Telegraph in 2013 dubbed Egypt the “worst Arab country to be a women”. The biggest Islamic political parties in Egypt are the Salafi Nour Party, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Although the Nour Party is more lenient towards the role of women in government, both parties are restrictive and culturally traditional on the place of women in society, making it difficult for women to pursue political careers in Egypt. Both parties often deny women to party meeting and refuse to show photographs of women party members as they do men. Both parties also require women to wear either the hijab or the niqab, respectively. However, the Egyptian government as a whole has made steps towards political advancement for women. In 2016 a new Cabinet made up of entirely women in government has been created for furthering the opportunities for career, political, and intellectual advancement of women. Some also argue that since this cabinet is under the governmental umbrella of the Traditional Arts Association, that the Cabinet will have little effect and is mainly for show.

United Arab Emirates
    In recent years, the United Arab Emirates has been a leading nation for the development of women in politics and women’s equality, challenging stereotypes of the Middle East. In the UAE constitution, women are granted equal rights, as well as equal access to jobs and healthcare. 77% of women in the UAE enroll in higher education after high school and 98% of women in the UAE are literate. The UAE was the first country in the region to enact legislation requiring there to be female board members in every company and government agency. There are also 8 female ministers in the government, the highest number in the region. However, in the UAE’s anti discrimination law, discrimination based on gender is not included. The government also issued a supreme court ruling allowing domestic violence if it does not leave a mark. Women in the UAE must also gain the consent of a male guardian to engage is basic activities such as driving and working.

    The chairs have provided three examples of women’s rights in the Arab world, however they would encourage each delegate to conduct their own research and to be wary of using biased sources. Women’s rights vary greatly among each country in the Arab world based on location, and interpretation of the Qur’an. To assist the delegates in writing resolutions the chairs have provided the following guiding questions:
​

Guiding Questions
  1. Are women in your country allowed to engage in basic activities such as voting, driving, and working? If not, why?
  2. What steps have been taken by Member States outside the Arab world to encourage gender equality in politics?
  3. What role does Sharia Law play in women’s equality? What is the importance of Sharia Law?
  4. How can legislation granting women rights such as driving or voting lead to women’s empowerment in politics?
  5. How to traditional values and societal norms affect government?
  6. Why do some countries have wider representation of women in politics?
  7. How does having women in politics filter down to affect regular women?
  8. What cultural practices are stopping women from participating in politics?
  9. Are there any women in the Arab World who can be used as role models for getting other women into politics?
  10. Is gender equality something that we should be teaching children from a young age?
  11. Is politics something that women should be involved in? Why?
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  • Home
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  • Contact Us
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  • Previous Conferences
    • ASDMUN 2022 >
      • AC
      • ECOSOC
      • EC
      • GA2
      • GA4
      • HSC
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      • HRC1
      • HRC2
      • WTO
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      • Environmental Commission
      • General Assembly 2
      • General Assembly 3
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      • Historical Security Council
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      • Special Conference 1
    • ASDMUN 2020 >
      • Arab Council
      • Economic and Social Council
      • Environmental Commission
      • General Assembly
      • Historical Security Council
      • Human Rights Commission
      • Security Council
      • Special Conference
      • World Trade Organization
    • ASDMUN 2019 >
      • General Assembly
      • General Assembly II
      • Human Rights Commission
      • Economic and Social Council
      • Environment Commission
      • Arab Council
      • Security Council
      • Historical Security Council
      • ICJ
    • ASDMUN 2018 >
      • Forums >
        • General Assembly >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Establishing peaceful measures to address the South China Sea territorial dispute
          • Tackling the growth of E-Waste throughout West Africa
          • Ensuring developing countries' sovereignty over their natural resources
        • Arab Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Establishing a united response to current and future terrorist threats in the Arab region
          • Tackling foreign intervention and the initiation of proxy wars in the MENA region
          • The question of increasing women's representation in the Middle East, particularly in politics
        • Human Rights Commission >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Addressing the human rights violation surrounding the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar
          • Developing a detailed framework for the regulation of genetic manipulation within the human genome
          • Developing an established framework for the right to practice religious freedom in Western European nations
        • Economic and Social Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Aiding Economic Stability to the Caribbean Islands Affected by Natural Disasters
          • Diminishing the Consequences of the Flight of Human Capital from Developing Nations to North America and Western Europe
          • Eradicating Political and NGO Corruptions When International Aid is Given
        • International Court of Justice >
          • ICJ Guide
          • Meet the Executive Team
        • Environmental Commission >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Adressing the safety and security of Nuclear Power Plants and Waste, specifically with dealing with the dangers of increased natural disasters.
          • Mitigating the detrimental effects of factory farming on climate change
          • Promoting the transition from fossil fuel dependancy to the use of renewable energy
        • Security Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Addressing the question of cyber warfare between state and non-state actors
          • Combating increasing nuclear proliferation in the Korean Peninsula
          • Expanding Council Membership
      • Conference Details
      • Leadership Team >
        • Director's Note
    • ASDMUN 2017 >
      • Home
      • Leadership Team
      • Director's Note
      • Forums >
        • General Assembly >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Combatting the radicalisation of youth engineered through the Internet
          • Establishing peaceful measures to address the situation in Kashmir
          • Developing a legal and ethical framework for the regulation of modifications to the human genome
        • Security Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Addressing recent nuclear escalation in the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea
          • Measures to stop the growth of terrorist networks in Africa, namely Boko Haram and Al Shabaab
          • Preventing the spread of terrorism through lone wolf informants and sleeper cells, with special regard to the Islamic State
        • Human Rights Commission >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Creating a framework for the protection of international whistleblowers
          • Creating a unified response,in accordance with the Responsibility to Protect, to the persecution and killing of suspected drug traffickers in Southeast Asia.
          • Examining corporations’ obligations to preserve human rights in regards to child labour
        • Arab Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Addressing the basic needs of Syrian Refugees in Lebanese Refugee Camps
          • Taking preventative measures to undermine the economic network of the Islamic State and the distribution of arms to the Islamic State
          • Negotiating a peaceful solution to the conflict between Saudi Arabia and a post nuclear deal Iran.
        • Economic and Social Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • The issue involving the prevention of the Zika virus within South America
          • Developing measures to combat the growth of Global Heroin Trade and its effects on the global economy
          • The question of Micro-Financing in LEDC's
        • Environment Commission >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Finding feasible fresh-water alternatives to desalination in the Middle East in order to restore peace to marine ecosystems
          • Strengthening efforts pertaining to the preservation of the Amazonian rainforest to protect indigenous wildlife
          • General Assembly >
            • Meet the Executive Team
            • Disarmament in Egypt (The Sinai insurgency)
            • Reducing the recruitment of Latin American youth by multinational drug cartels
            • Improving access to transport and basic necessities for refugees
          • Tackling the effects of ocean acidification as a result of increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere
    • ASDMUN 2016 >
      • Home
      • Leadership Team
      • Director's Note
      • Conference Details
      • Forums >
        • Security Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Conflict between the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL) and global parties
          • The lack of refuge available internationally for whistleblowers
          • The issue of Eastern Ukraine
        • Human Rights Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Methods of reintegration and rehabilitation of African child-soldiers into post-war communities
          • Human rights violations that have resulted from the natural disasters in Nepal
          • Reduction of Modern Day Slavery in South Asia
        • Arab Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Examining the obligation of Arab nations to accept and aid Syrian refugees
          • Combatting the growth of the Islamic State
          • Economic incentives to preserve forests in third-world nations
          • The issue of instability in Yemen
        • Economic and Social Council >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Increasing availability of clean water and sanitation in Eastern Africa
          • Improving the social status of Syrian refugees in Europe
        • Environmental Commission >
          • Meet the Executive Team
          • Environment-related living concerns in industrial megalopolises
          • Preservation of natural ecosystems in the Arctic
          • Environmentally consciously supporting refugees in the MENA region
      • Media >
        • Photos
        • The Daily Caucus