Legal and Practical Aspects of Participation by Women in Arab Societies

Abstract

Many Arab and Muslim countries have a long history of women’s activism.
Depending on location and historical moment, women activists have drawn
inspiration from a wide array of sources, including both religious and secular
discourses. In all cases, however, one main issue is how legal systems
and processes of legal reform on the one hand, and social relations and
everyday life on the other hand, relate to each other.
At this conference, held in The Hague, The Netherlands, on March 4-
5, 2004, the tensions between legal systems and social life were discussed.
The conference was organized by the Arabic Dutch Women Circle (ANVK)
in cooperation with the municipality of The Hague and the International
Dialogues Foundation (IDF). The ANVK is a Dutch non-profit organization
dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between Dutch and Arab
societies, and, in particular, between Dutch and Arab women. The ANVK
organizes conferences, meetings, debates, and exhibitions to stimulate dialogue
and exchange.
Among other things, the conference sought to clarify that class, ethnicity,
political system, history, and cultural factors are of wider influence than
just law or religious factors themselves. The constitutions of almost all
Arab and Muslim countries proclaim equal rights for all, regardless of race,
sex, language, and religion. However, the implementation of these rights is
often a problem. By inviting a group of women activists and academics
from the Middle East, as well as representatives of various sectors of Dutch
society and of the Arab and Muslim communities in The Netherlands, the
conference also aimed at stimulating discussion about Arab women’s rights
and practices.
The conference was chaired by Professor Annelies Moors, chair of the
International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM)
at the University of Amsterdam. The first day was open to the general public
and consisted of a plenary session in which four papers were presented, ...