Aspects of life as a Jordanian: Women
The lives of women in Jordan are drastically different than those of women in the United States. Indeed, Jordan is well above many other countries in this region. The Jordanian constitution recognizes women as equal under the law; women were given the right to vote and run in general elections in 1974 and, recently, legislation was passed that created a quota for women members of parliament. Literacy among women has increased from 46.8% in 1972 to 86% in 1996. Legislative reforms have given pregnant women workplace rights, and the number of women in the labor force has more than doubled since 1979 (although it was only at 16% in 1996). Although relatively substantial, these legislative and administrative reforms have not translated to most aspects of everyday life for many women – especially those living in more rural areas.
This reality is largely the result of a strong and deeply seeded social tradition, rooted in the extremely traditional ways of life of many Jordanians. I will not analyze the traditions of Islam, most notably the wearing of the hijab, for a few reasons. I am not in any way an expert on Islam, and therefore do not want to make any inappropriate assumptions. But, most importantly, I do not consider the tradition of wearing the scarf as oppressive in and of itself. There is a large proportion of the female population here that chooses and prefers to wear the scarf, and any coercion to wear it is indicative of other social forces, not an issue of religion. This is not to say that problems do not exist. There are many social institutions in place that deem sexist practices socially acceptable.
A study performed by the University of Jordan Strategic Studies Center in 1994 found that “men and women in Jordan still look at the woman's role through the expectations of traditional gender roles.” This manifests itself for women in different ways. The housewife and homemaker is still a major tenant in Jordanian life; in 1997, the fertility rate was 5.2 births per woman (reduced from 7 in 1976). Although this is not surprising for a developing country, it has had a number of social implications. Women are quite often questioned in everyday conversation about how many children they have, as an assessment of their success (and, I would venture to say, their social worth). It is odd for a married couple to not have children.
These ideas are reinforced within the system of education. Although many more women are finishing primary school and increasing numbers are seeking higher education, public primary schools remain segregated. Children are bussed to school in different busses and, if they do not go to an all-girls school, they have segregated classes and recess time. This is carried over into out-of-school time, as girls and boys do not play together, or rarely ever socialize, in free time. As they get older (and as girls and boys begin to want to do things together) girls and boys are generally only seen together in groups; a boy and a girl together alone, even just walking, is considered suspicious and inappropriate. This presents a problem, in my (American, male) opinion, for any efforts to alter social views or to pursue “equality,” as many in the government have insisted.
Issues of gender separation get complicated, though, especially when viewing Jordanian society from an American perspective. Many of the things that women do (or don’t do) or that men impose on their wives are done under the veil of “respect for the women” (no matter how valid this may be). For example, shopping for daily necessities is generally performed by the husband, so that the woman does not need to leave the house. In more conservative areas of the country (like where I am living), if a woman enters a shop she is allowed to go to the front of the line to get what she needs and to leave, so that she does not stand in line with the men. Some women wear the hijab to be considered modest, as some men insist that their wives to wear it to protect them from envious glances of other men, and women do not make eye contact with men on the street (out of respect).
Regardless of how complicated these issues may be from the lens of a Westerner, there is a general consensus among many progressive Jordanians that gender inequality is a large issue. The government has made attempts to address these problems by enacting various forms of legislation, and many important people in the government, most notably Queen Noor (who has founded and supported numerous institutions and NGOs that are working to resolve issues of inequality; see http://www.noor.gov.jo), have tried to progress the discussion. It is not surprising therefore that many Jordanians consider it the responsibility of governmental action to solve these issues. While legislative reform does not reach many aspects of rural society, and has little to no impact on tradition and social institutions, the persistence of unequal gender relations will most likely remain until a broader social movement advances notions of women’s rights.
Things are beginning to change, though, especially in larger cities like Amman. The influence of Western culture (which is engulfing metropolitan areas throughout the Middle-East) and the opening of new forms of communication (i.e. the internet) is exposing a new generation of women to ideas of equality and confidence. For example, Oprah is revered by a growing number of women, especially of the younger generation, as representing an ideal, strong woman (its on TV every day at 19:00). These influences have their benefits and shortcomings, but will undoubtedly change the social and political fabric for women in Jordan. But it is safe to say that any potential changes are entirely in the hands of Jordanian women, and until they are willing to assert themselves and make their views known, concepts of equality will continue to remain unrelized.
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| Brave Kuwaiti feminists crossed out a sign that said: "According to Islamic law, women have no political rights." |
A study performed by the University of Jordan Strategic Studies Center in 1994 found that “men and women in Jordan still look at the woman's role through the expectations of traditional gender roles.” This manifests itself for women in different ways. The housewife and homemaker is still a major tenant in Jordanian life; in 1997, the fertility rate was 5.2 births per woman (reduced from 7 in 1976). Although this is not surprising for a developing country, it has had a number of social implications. Women are quite often questioned in everyday conversation about how many children they have, as an assessment of their success (and, I would venture to say, their social worth). It is odd for a married couple to not have children.
These ideas are reinforced within the system of education. Although many more women are finishing primary school and increasing numbers are seeking higher education, public primary schools remain segregated. Children are bussed to school in different busses and, if they do not go to an all-girls school, they have segregated classes and recess time. This is carried over into out-of-school time, as girls and boys do not play together, or rarely ever socialize, in free time. As they get older (and as girls and boys begin to want to do things together) girls and boys are generally only seen together in groups; a boy and a girl together alone, even just walking, is considered suspicious and inappropriate. This presents a problem, in my (American, male) opinion, for any efforts to alter social views or to pursue “equality,” as many in the government have insisted.
Issues of gender separation get complicated, though, especially when viewing Jordanian society from an American perspective. Many of the things that women do (or don’t do) or that men impose on their wives are done under the veil of “respect for the women” (no matter how valid this may be). For example, shopping for daily necessities is generally performed by the husband, so that the woman does not need to leave the house. In more conservative areas of the country (like where I am living), if a woman enters a shop she is allowed to go to the front of the line to get what she needs and to leave, so that she does not stand in line with the men. Some women wear the hijab to be considered modest, as some men insist that their wives to wear it to protect them from envious glances of other men, and women do not make eye contact with men on the street (out of respect).
Regardless of how complicated these issues may be from the lens of a Westerner, there is a general consensus among many progressive Jordanians that gender inequality is a large issue. The government has made attempts to address these problems by enacting various forms of legislation, and many important people in the government, most notably Queen Noor (who has founded and supported numerous institutions and NGOs that are working to resolve issues of inequality; see http://www.noor.gov.jo), have tried to progress the discussion. It is not surprising therefore that many Jordanians consider it the responsibility of governmental action to solve these issues. While legislative reform does not reach many aspects of rural society, and has little to no impact on tradition and social institutions, the persistence of unequal gender relations will most likely remain until a broader social movement advances notions of women’s rights.
Things are beginning to change, though, especially in larger cities like Amman. The influence of Western culture (which is engulfing metropolitan areas throughout the Middle-East) and the opening of new forms of communication (i.e. the internet) is exposing a new generation of women to ideas of equality and confidence. For example, Oprah is revered by a growing number of women, especially of the younger generation, as representing an ideal, strong woman (its on TV every day at 19:00). These influences have their benefits and shortcomings, but will undoubtedly change the social and political fabric for women in Jordan. But it is safe to say that any potential changes are entirely in the hands of Jordanian women, and until they are willing to assert themselves and make their views known, concepts of equality will continue to remain unrelized.
posted by Aaron Berdanier at 10:21 AM Permalink
