"Take four wives, urges Bahrain MP," on the Gulf News front page (5 April 2007) threw open a debate in context to women's rights and their commodification. The independent Bahraini lawmaker stated his view, "We do not want to have spinsters in the country and we do not want a rise in the divorce rate either. Taking more than one wife is the solution, and I advise that the members of the Council of Representatives should set the example."
His request to his male peers to take four wives, three Bahraini women and one foreigner, in order to help address the issue of the high number of spinsters in the country, is clearly mentioned in the article as uttered in a light tone (what ever that meant).
Today's Gulf News had another article "Aspirations of young UAE women revealed" which stated, "The majority of Emirati women would prefer spinsterhood to being a second wife, according to statistics revealed at a workshop held at one of the leading universities in Sharjah."
The article also stated that the research among Emirati women revealed that 65 percent planned on working immediately after graduating from university, while only one per cent planned to stay at home.
This is a positive sign of women's empowerment and awakening in the UAE, by a new generation who want equality of genders and wish to make meaningful contributions in the once conservative Middle Eastern society.
On March 8th, International Women's Day, a Gulf News article on women around the world, mentioned "Women in the Islamic republic have been pushing for equal rights and the nullification of a law allowing men in Iran to have four wives. And in Afghanistan, two million girls have returned to school since the fall of the ultraconservative Taliban regime - but widespread discrimination and domestic violence persist..."
Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the UN Development Fund for Women, said "89 countries currently have legislative provisions on domestic violence, 104 countries have made marital rape a crime, 90 countries have provisions against sexual harassment, and 93 states prohibit trafficking of women and men."
Today's article stating the aspirations of the UAE women and the apt reply to the "Four wives Solution" by a fellow Council Member Hassan Al Dossari, who stated "Please, just speak for yourself" are to be seen as positive signs of gender equality and empowerment which is silently sweeping the region.
However, the first article "Take four wives, urges Bahrain MP" noted that, "Latifa Al Gaood, the only woman in the lower council, preferred not to comment". A point to ponder indeed! "Men are not the enemy, but the fellow victims. The real enemy is women's denigration of themselves." ~Betty Friedan, American Feminist & Social Activist.
His request to his male peers to take four wives, three Bahraini women and one foreigner, in order to help address the issue of the high number of spinsters in the country, is clearly mentioned in the article as uttered in a light tone (what ever that meant).
Today's Gulf News had another article "Aspirations of young UAE women revealed" which stated, "The majority of Emirati women would prefer spinsterhood to being a second wife, according to statistics revealed at a workshop held at one of the leading universities in Sharjah."
The article also stated that the research among Emirati women revealed that 65 percent planned on working immediately after graduating from university, while only one per cent planned to stay at home.
This is a positive sign of women's empowerment and awakening in the UAE, by a new generation who want equality of genders and wish to make meaningful contributions in the once conservative Middle Eastern society.
On March 8th, International Women's Day, a Gulf News article on women around the world, mentioned "Women in the Islamic republic have been pushing for equal rights and the nullification of a law allowing men in Iran to have four wives. And in Afghanistan, two million girls have returned to school since the fall of the ultraconservative Taliban regime - but widespread discrimination and domestic violence persist..."
Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the UN Development Fund for Women, said "89 countries currently have legislative provisions on domestic violence, 104 countries have made marital rape a crime, 90 countries have provisions against sexual harassment, and 93 states prohibit trafficking of women and men."
Today's article stating the aspirations of the UAE women and the apt reply to the "Four wives Solution" by a fellow Council Member Hassan Al Dossari, who stated "Please, just speak for yourself" are to be seen as positive signs of gender equality and empowerment which is silently sweeping the region.
However, the first article "Take four wives, urges Bahrain MP" noted that, "Latifa Al Gaood, the only woman in the lower council, preferred not to comment". A point to ponder indeed! "Men are not the enemy, but the fellow victims. The real enemy is women's denigration of themselves." ~Betty Friedan, American Feminist & Social Activist.
I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction.
Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.
~ Alice Stokes Paul, American suffragist leader
Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.
~ Alice Stokes Paul, American suffragist leader
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