Abstract This study investigates emotional divorce in Jordanian society, in particular, in Amman, where families endure pressure from economic hardship, unemployment and social instability. Emotional divorce, marked by a lack of intimacy while maintaining legal marital status undermines marriage’s emotional and psychological purpose as defined by Islamic jurisprudence. Using a descriptive, inductive and analytical methodology, data were collected from 261 married individuals in Amman, Jordan, and analyzed using the Emotional Divorce Scale developed by al-Shawashreh and Abdulrahman (2018). Findings show that emotional divorce is driven by marital infidelity, economic and educational disparities as well as social pressure with a higher prevalence among males and long-term marriages. The educational level does not significantly affect its occurrence, indicating its pervasiveness across different backgrounds. This study underscores the need for therapeutic and preventive strategies, focusing on partner compatibility and the management of material pressure. It is hoped that these insights will assist policymakers and social workers in promoting family stability and well-being amidst societal challenges.
Abstract National incentive plans, labor policies and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) regulations actively encourage Emirati women’s participation in the UAE employment sector. Women are the face of the future workforce in emerging economies and Emirati females are leading the charge in equalizing gender balance within companies operating in the UAE . Young Emirati women are a particularly salient force in the UAE labor market. Sociocultural, economic, gender-related and national expectations of local women intersect to inform their experiences at a workplace, thus deciding on possibilities to enter and sustain their careers. In relation to this, this article explores young Emirati women’s employment challenges and opportunities as perceived by the research participants themselves. In addition, the article examines the current UAE employment laws, regulations and government programs that impact Emirati women’s workplace interactions and experiences. Finally, the article aims at offering practical solutions for observed challenges inspired by research findings and successful global practices adapted to the sociocultural framework of the UAE . Identifying effective strategies that cater to young Emirati women’s needs, struggles and the cultural context can help companies overcome challenges in attracting and retaining local female talent reserves.
Abstract Drawing on fieldwork, the article investigates the interplay between Shariʿa-based law and tribal laws and practices in light of new procedures regarding inheritance by the Islamic Shariʿa Court, moving towards increased transparency and legal compliance. It uncovers a conflict of norms in that daughters tend to inherit but they rarely inherit their full legal share. Moreover, daughters are expected to renounce their shares in land and productive property in favour of their brothers. Indeed, the discourse disguises the problem: the fiqh (jurisprudence) argument on which the Shariʿa-based law rests, i.e., claims that daughters inherit half of their brother’s share because men have the responsibility to economically support their own families but also their mothers and sisters if needed. In contrast, in Palestine, if daughters claim their inheritance, they lose their right to support from brothers. Since probate is not mandatory and land governance and property registration is deficient, probate remains largely unregulated.
This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis aimed at uncovering research trends in gender equality across three of the most populous Muslim-majority countries: Indonesia, Türkiye and Egypt. Utilizing data from the Scopus database, covering a period from 1999 to 2021, the research identifies key themes, influential publications and emerging trends within the academic discourse on gender equality. The study underscores the significant role that socio-cultural and political contexts play in shaping the focus and direction of gender equality research in these regions. Through a meticulous examination of traditional values, religious interpretations and legal frameworks, the analysis reveals distinct patterns of academic inquiry, documenting both the progress made and the persistent challenges in addressing gender disparities. The findings illustrate how gender equality research has evolved in response to shifting societal dynamics, particularly, concerning education, employment and legal rights. Additionally, the study contributes to broader literature by offering insights into the intersections of gender with other social categories such as class, ethnicity and religion which are crucial for understanding the complexities of gender dynamics in these contexts. Emphasizing the need for targeted policy interventions and longitudinal studies to track changes in gender attitudes over time, the study provides valuable implications for future research and policy development to promote gender parity in these diverse and evolving socio-cultural environments.
The study aims to linguistically and idiomatically identify the meaning of the phrase “toil and pursuit” and clarify the impact of the financial responsibilities on the rights and obligations between spouses in contemporary Jordan. The researchers adopted both inductive and deductive approaches through which they extrapolated Islamic Fiqh provisions related to rights and obligations in this regard and their impact on the financial obligations between spouses. The study determined that toil and pursuit is a legal right that protects the wife’s rights to the money she earned and spent with her husband. Moreover, the wife has the right to claim this money if marital life ends through death or divorce; thus, this right affects the financial rights between spouses. Finally, the study discovered that the right to toil and pursuit is directly related to the Theory of Commitment.
In this article, I explore the changing representations of female protagonists in classical Islamic narratives in order to study Islamic ideas of female agency in the public sphere. The research is based on a close analysis of Islamic narrative sources, including the Prophet's biography and raids (Sira and Ma_ghazi), Islamic biographical dictionaries (tabagat), Islamic traditions (hadith) and Islamic historiography (tarikh). The sources studied here are from the ninth to the fifteenth centuries. Narratives and anecdotes about three female Companions of the Prophet-Umm Sulaym bt. Milhan, Hind bt. 'Utba and Umm Umara-are analyzed in an effort to trace and identify variations in their representations. The findings indicate that Muslim authors throughout the centuries and across genres did not oppose or downplay, in any way, women's social agency. They did, however, aspire to determine or to frame the `appropriate' form of women's agency and, for that purpose, they tended to emphasize some aspects of agency while downplaying other aspects. All in all, the study concludes that Muslim authors throughout the centuries saw fit to present exemplary feminine characters who shaped the imagination and perceptions of generations of Muslims of both sexes.
This essay examines the work of Kawthar Abdalla, known as Mama Kookie, a Sudanese social media influencer whose digital platforms have cultivated a transnational feminist community of over one million viewers amid Sudan's ongoing war and displacement crisis. Through analysis of 75+ livestreams, I argue that Mama Kookie's practice embodies Alice Walker's womanism and spans critical dimensions: confronting racism, validating witchcraft testimonies while pivoting toward empowerment, locating women's conflicts in patriarchal structures rather than individual failings, navigating female competition under conditions of scarcity and transforming exile's alienation into sites of moral support. Mama Kookie demonstrates that feminism in crisis requires validating cultural epistemologies while enabling agency, respecting norms while challenging patriarchal violence and building imperfect solidarities perpetually vulnerable to forces they seek to overcome.
This paper critically examines Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, analyzing its implications for women’s empowerment within the framework of authoritarian resilience. Vision 2030 has introduced significant reforms in education, employment, and entrepreneurship, positioning women as central to the Kingdom’s modernization project. Women now surpass men in higher education and have experienced notable gains in labor force participation, signaling progress in socio-economic inclusion. However, these reforms are embedded within a model of state feminism, where empowerment policies are crafted and controlled by the regime to consolidate legitimacy, enhance global image, and sustain authoritarian stability. By presenting itself as the architect of progress, the state limits grassroots activism while instrumentalizing gender reforms as tools of soft power and nation branding. Ultimately, Vision 2030 expands opportunities for women yet preserves patriarchal structures and political constraints, advancing modernization without fundamentally transforming gender relations or dismantling authoritarian governance.
National incentive plans, labor policies and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) regulations actively encourage Emirati women's participation in the UAE employment sector. Women are the face of the future workforce in emerging economies and Emirati females are leading the charge in equalizing gender balance within companies operating in the UAE. Young Emirati women are a particularly salient force in the UAE labor market. Sociocultural, economic, gender-related and national expectations of local women intersect to inform their experiences at a workplace, thus deciding on possibilities to enter and sustain their careers. In relation to this, this article explores young Emirati women's employment challenges and opportunities as perceived by the research participants themselves. In addition, the article examines the current UAE employment laws, regulations and government programs that impact Emirati women's workplace interactions and experiences. Finally, the article aims at offering practical solutions for observed challenges inspired by research findings and successful global practices adapted to the sociocultural framework of the UAE. Identifying effective strategies that cater to young Emirati women's needs, struggles and the cultural context can help companies overcome challenges in attracting and retaining local female talent reserves.
This study explores the role of the extended Emirati family's social capital in producing and reproducing gender differentiation. Participants include 45 young Emirati married women aged 18-27 living in the central Sharjah region. In-depth interviews were used to collect data. Line-by-line coding, thematic coding and the constant comparative method were employed to analyze and interpret the data. Analyses revealed five gendered themes that women perceive as benefits derived from family social capital as well as four gendered restrictions that women view as responsibilities tied to their social roles. The five gendered benefits are a secure life, emergent assistance, solving problems, financial support and facilitating living. The four restrictions are freedom, independence, relationships and raising children. The study findings indicate that family social capital restricts women's freedom, placing them in a subordinate position, despite having pillars of independence such as work, money and education. This highlights the pervasive influence of gender ideology within family social capital.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first president of the United Arab Emirates, played a central role in promoting female education during the country’s transformation from a tribal society to a modern state. This article examines how Sheikh Zayed navigated cultural and religious resistance to female education using Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory. Key strategies included building partnerships with religious leaders, providing financial incentives to families, establishing free and gender-segregated schools and importing teacher expertise. He also led, by example, through public endorsements and support for educating women. These actions helped shift societal attitudes from opposition to widespread acceptance of girls’ education. The article argues that Sheikh Zayed’s culturally attuned and visionary leadership was instrumental in fostering significant social change and improving female literacy rates in the UAE. His approach serves as a case study in effective leadership within a traditional society undergoing rapid modernization.
This article examines how faith manifests itself as a modality of everyday resistance in Shelina Janmohamed’s Love in a Headscarf (2010). Drawing on Braidotti’s perception of deriving residual spirituality in critical theory (2008) and critical theories on everyday resistance (Scott 1985, Abu-Lughod 1990), the article looks into how the author, as a Muslim woman, engages in subtle acts of resistance against prejudices that often contribute to shaping perceptions of her identity and the larger Muslim female community. This is a clear departure from the oft-discussed scholarship on Janmohamed’s work which examines questions of Muslim women’s agency and identity (Hasan 2015), hybrid Muslim diasporic identities (Ahmed, E. 2022), marriage, romance and spirituality (Khaled 2021), sartorial rights and Islamic feminism (Rosman 2023). The article reveals how spirituality becomes the central axis that governs the protagonist’s everyday agentic acts, including her search for a partner. In this context, spirituality is not disembodied but rather, it intersects with her familial and romantic environment and manifests itself physically as the protagonist engages in bodily acts of religiosity.
The portrayal of women’s empowerment in Lebanese media productions reflects a complex interplay of cultural dynamics and societal norms. The main objective of this study is to examine how Lebanese media productions portray the idea of women’s empowerment and the characteristics they give to their female lead roles. Content analysis is used to identify several topics and specific situations under themes specifically taken from The Empowerment Theory in two Lebanese drama series: “Khamse wa Noss” (2019) and “Salon Zahra” (2021). The three main themes are social empowerment, economic empowerment and political empowerment. The portrayal of female leads in both series offers a compelling case study of the complexities of women’s empowerment within a patriarchal context. The women’s economic, social and political achievements are juxtaposed with substantial disempowerment, reflecting the ongoing influence of traditional gender roles. This nuanced depiction prompts a critical analysis of how media narratives can both challenge and perpetuate gender inequalities, emphasizing the need for continued scrutiny of gender portrayals in Lebanese dramas.
Taking into consideration the significance of the debate about apostasy and, especially, female apostasy with regard to its direct correlation to international relations, human rights norms and the development of Islamic law in modern societies, this study addresses the following questions. How has female apostasy been debated by scholars of Islamic law? Why did scholars of the Ḥanafi school, the most geographically widespread school of Islamic law, distinguish between genders with regard to the punishment for apostasy? How could this debate be used in contemporary discussions about apostasy? These questions will be debated successively.
Digitalization has impacted both personal life and brought about substantial revolutionary developments in the entrepreneurial sphere. The business sector’s digital transformation has introduced a new idea known as digital entrepreneurship. This concept has not only altered the flow of action but also has digitalized all business activities. It is crucial to assess whether digital entrepreneurs possess the necessary skills and knowledge to capitalize on new opportunities for growth and success arising from shifts in digital transaction, communication and marketing channels. This study investigated the influence of information literacy, computer literacy and media literacy on the performance of female entrepreneurs in Pakistan. It analyzed survey data quantitatively to determine if there is a correlation between a set of literacies and an entrepreneur’s performance. The main results indicate that, besides computer literacy, there is a positive linear correlation between information and media literacy and the performance of Pakistani women entrepreneurs.
The article examines the influence of female lineage and affiliation through the lens of women’s anecdotes as portrayed in Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih’s book, al-ʿIqd al-Farīd. It analyzes the interaction dynamics between maternal ties and the concepts of honor as well as disgrace associated with a woman’s offspring. The study employs a qualitative content analysis using a combined inductive-deductive approach to trace patterns across historical examples. While Arab customs and Islamic legal traditions emphasize paternal nasab, this article argues that maternal intisāb played a significant role in shaping tribal and individual identity, prestige and belonging. Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih’s portrayals highlight how maternal lineage was used to asset honor or diminish social standing. These portrayals also reflect cultural concerns in his Andalusian context concerning Arabness, lineage purity and the authority of genealogical memory.
Abortion is a sensitive and complicated issue worldwide, especially, in sociocultural contexts where it is legally restricted or socially stigmatized. This study is concerned with examining Qashqai Turkic women's experiences of self-intentional abortion in Iran where termination of a pregnancy is banned and criminalized by law. To this aim, six women aged 25 to 44, living in Iran, all of whom were born and raised in Qashqai Turkic families, with at least one self-intentional abortion from 2014 to 2023, were interviewed in this study. The narratives were analyzed qualitatively based on Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (Lazar, 2005, 2007 and 2014) which revealed that all these women experienced negative physical repercussions, especially, mental repercussions after their abortion. Most of these women regarded these repercussions as the aftermath of not having access to safe abortions and post-abortion care as well as the oppressive view concerning women's rights which is quite evident in small communities.
This study explored how the stereotypes related to females have recently changed in Baluchistan, Pakistan. Four focus groups were studied to collect the data for this research. Thematic analysis of the focus group data revealed seven major themes. These include prioritizing women's family roles, the desirability of assertiveness, the inculcation of passivity, generational shifts in perspective, emphasis on egalitarianism, stigmatization of empowered women and lack of support for women's mental health. These themes highlight the multifaceted nature of societal expectations from women. Contradiction of societal expectations promoting assertiveness in the current world while also pressurizing women to conform to expectations related to the traditional submissive female role results in conflict and limits women's autonomy and empowerment. Gender-related attitudes and perceptions are also influenced by generational shifts; however, the change seems very slow owing to the reluctance to accept and implement new beliefs regarding gender roles.
Past research has supported the notion that the conclusions we draw about people and the way we behave around them are dependent on our exposure to their facial expressions. The current study aims at investigating the perceived effect on people who wear the niqab and the question of trustworthiness, using a sample of 183 women from Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates in 2020. Results showed that variables of communication, identity and security were all significantly correlated with one another in this respect. The implications of these findings suggested that people feel more secure when interacting with women who do not wear the niqab. Also, it was found that people's interaction is more effective when facial expressions are visible.
