Countries governed in the form of theocracy inevitably leads to misinterpretations of the religious text to a large extent. Specifically the islamic theocratic states in Middle East and nearby, severe gender inequalities had been developed politically as a result of misinterpretation of Quran.
These statistics from World Bank & ILO is an inferable conclusion that religious plays large impact on gender inequality, given that top 6 countries with the fewest women in the world are all islamic countries in the Arab peninsula.
In terms of employment, the most affected regions are also islamic-primary nations if not theocratic islamic countries. This shows the large prevalence of religious misinterpretation on the power and rights of women in islamic countries and their long-term effects. |
Gender inequality is attributed to religious misinterpretation on the value towards viewing the duty, power, and status of women. This has been longly manifested in religious parts of the world where women must dress modestly. Patriarchy is prevalent in many religious countries that marginalize the girl over every stages of their lifetime: education, to employment, to retirement. With girls considered incapable, families are less inclined to prioritize them with opportunities to succeed. Thus, the gap between the capabilities of men and women in the economy increase over time as a result of gender inequality.
Image credits: OECD
Gender inequality, means the the prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination against young women in education. Lack of support, encouragement, and endorsement by the government, society, and family deprives their opportunities towards receiving adequate higher education for the competitive modern society as each stages of education (primary, secondary, higher) are interconnected. Thus, they end up with lower wages. This is especially problematic in the developed theocratic states such as Saudi Arabia, where the cost of living is high and women are generally relying on husbands' income. This becomes the root of polygamy practices and lack of women independence, thus leading to men gradually taking over the ownerships of women, literally (Male Guardianship System) and metaphorically (Overpowered male dominance in economy, society, and more).
Image credits: Special Broadcasting Service
Dina Ali Lasloom is a Saudi young women who attempted to flee from male guardianship system by seeking asylum in Australia but was deported back to Saudi Arabia, where her whereabouts remained unknown ever since. Her case has sparked large-scale sympathy around the world and marked a rare event of women liberation in the history of the country.
Saudi Arabia disempowers women over the past decade through legislation, with its most severe form being the male guardianship laws, policies, and regulations. Even as a developed economy relying on petrol resources with high-quality education, the nation is notoriously conservative in terms of women rights, with husband consent compulsory for the following activities:
Fortunately, many legislations have been ameliorated to empower the women over the past few years to promote independence for women and envisions to abandon male guardianship. |
Image credits: The Insyder
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist for female educational opportunities. She used to be an ordinary victim of women rights suppression by Taliban, an Afghan terrorist group who misinterpreted Quran to disempower women in Afghanistan and nearby countries in terms of power, voice, opportunities, and rights through radical violence. Malala stood up like no one else to protest for girls education when she realized she is losing such valuable opportunities to be successful in life, and Taliban shot her in the head due to her defiance. Yet knowledge is more powerful than strength, she lived on to be even stronger as an activist and change-maker, gaining worldwide fame and inspiring millions of girls like her past self. She now serves as the iconic symbol for girls education, power, and independence.
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