The “Women Empowerment” needed in the Middle East

By: Sara Kira

Founder of EUNACR

Empowering women in the middle east is usually frowned upon among some patriarchal societies. It is usually accused of being an anti-Islamic movement in most of the Arab countries. Sadly, Islam is often used to impede any act that empowers women. 

What middle eastern women aspire to achieve is having through basic rights as human beings. 

What middle eastern women need are fair chances to achieve financial independence. Being financially independent, will help women of our societies make better choices, have better lives and hence, raise promising generations.  

What middle eastern women hope for is to be regarded as equal as their counterparts in society. We hope for equality in legislation and rights. 

What middle eastern women wish for is to be treated fairly in the job market and get equal opportunity to thrive in a career of their choice. 

Our partners in society, our fathers, brothers, sons, and husbands often believe that by empowering women they will lose their status as the patriarch of the family. However, this narrative is contradicted by reality. Women in middle eastern families play an integral role in bringing up the children, contributing financially to the family, and even sometimes the sole bread-winners.

Middle Eastern women are not the sole victims of patriarchy; women share the same struggle  all around the world. 

We hope 2021 to be the dawn of a new era of empowerment and freedom.