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Feature: Women鈥檚 Attire

Although controversy over women鈥檚 clothing in the Middle East is not a new topic, it was a focal point of many news articles throughout the past quarter. During the past few months, some governments in the region have jailed women because of infractions against legally mandated attire. In December, in public. According to a Saudi newspaper, the young woman announced her plans on social media prior to the incident. Also in December, twelve because of photos that were posted online that spread a 鈥淲estern-style culture of nudity.鈥� These governmental positions on women鈥檚 attire, while significant and consequential, cannot compare to and the severe punishment women receive for any deviation, which the New York Times detailed in a recent article. Elsewhere in the region, Turkey lifted the ban on in November, which mirrored the shift in August that allowed policewomen to wear headscarves.

As long as discussions about women鈥檚 clothing have been going on, so too, have women鈥檚 efforts to resist or address imposed dress codes. There were several recent examples of such efforts, including a group of women working as aides in the Israeli parliament who because their skirts were too short, according to the Knesset鈥檚 dress code. In Egypt, women are wearing as part of an initiative called 鈥淒resses of the Past When Our Streets Were Safe鈥� that seeks to normalize such clothing for women. Elsewhere, women in Qatar are working within the country鈥檚 social conventions to to provide women with more opportunities to be active.

Women in the Economy

Several articles from the past few months highlighted the importance of equal participation of women in the workforce. In December, Hurriyet reported on a study鈥斺�攖hat found Turkey鈥檚 gross domestic product (GDP) could expand by 20 percent by the year 2025 if women鈥檚 participation in the workforce increased from 30 percent to 63 percent. It is likely Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would support such an increase in women in the workforce: , he stated 鈥渟trength cannot be acquired through isolating women,鈥� and 鈥渨omen should be present in every sector of society,鈥� arguing this is the reason many Western economies are stronger than the Turkish economy. Similarly, Jordan鈥檚 Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Jawad Anani that increasing women鈥檚 participation in the workforce also increases 鈥渢he quality and size鈥� of GDP.

Articles from the last three months also reported on initiatives and policies enacted to bolster women鈥檚 participation in the economy. In October, the Thompson Reuters Foundation reported 鈥攖otaling $54 million鈥攄uring an eight-year period ending in September 2016. Additionally, the Palestinian Ministry of Labor and the National Committee for Women鈥檚 Employment, in conjunction with the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, which aims to 鈥渋nstill equality and social justice, eliminate gender-based discrimination at the workplace, improve the work environment, and raise women鈥檚 awareness of their rights.鈥� In the UAE, the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture launched to help more women become farmers, a sector in which women are under-represented.

Other stories focused on women working in unusual or unprecedented positions. In Jordan, women in the last few months have and . Women first-aid workers in Gaza were assigned to for the first time. In the UAE, women now 鈥攁n unprecedented number for that industry. Women in Saudi Arabia , as long as the businesses only have all-female staffs. Additionally, both that women should be allowed to work as paramedics and opticians鈥攑rofessions from which women are currently barred.

Despite the progress for some women, other women in the region face setbacks in the economy. A survey conducted by Oxford Strategic Consulting either 鈥渘ever or sometimes actively promote female nationals as part of their strategy鈥� for Qatarization (the policy to shift labor from expatriates to Qatari nationals). Lastly, the Turkish government among its forced closures of media outlets throughout the country.

Human Rights

During the past quarter, there were a number of news articles about women鈥檚 arrests for activism and other legal rights concerns. In October, Iranian Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee received a six-year jail sentence for writing 鈥渁n unpublished to death in her country.鈥� More recently in Iran, the head of the Women鈥檚 Basij militia 鈥渞eportedly 鈥� and indicated that women鈥檚 rights activists should be persecuted. Egyptian authorities did just that with the December , who founded the Centre for Egyptian Women鈥檚 Legal Assistance (CEWLA). A recent article also profiles who was arrested in 2014 for 鈥渁gitating public opinion鈥� and held for three months without charge.

Numerous articles over the past several months have covered other ongoing legislative issues in the MENA region. Some of these bills have improved women鈥檚 rights while others have further deteriorated the status of women. In November, the that 鈥渃ould have overturned men's convictions for child sex assault鈥� after considerable public protest. In December, a , the so-called 鈥渞ape law,鈥� which had permitted rapists to marry their victims in order to avoid punishment. The same committee is working on a draft law to present to parliament. A court in Tunisia鈥攚hich introduced a similar bill in 2014 that has yet to be discussed in parliament鈥攔ecently approved the ; with this move, the man is able to avoid a possible sentence of six years in prison. In the past few months, the Egyptian parliament has considered controversial bills related to and . And in Jordan, activists continue to demand reforms to the country鈥檚 penal code because of , which increased significantly in 2016.

Along with some of these constructive legal developments, there were other positive stories for women in the region. To help address the issue of honor killings in Jordan, the government plans to build a 鈥渨hose lives are in danger for reasons related to 鈥榝amily honour.鈥欌�� Saudi Arabia recently held a two-week campaign that encourages to report abuse to a 24/7 hotline run by the Ministry of Social Affairs. An Egyptian received an award at the San Francisco Arab Film Festival 2016, and Egyptian women who experience sexual harassment are to police more frequently according to local NGOs.

Women in Public Service

The outcomes of several elections in the Middle East during the last quarter had mixed results for women鈥檚 representation. October鈥檚 parliamentary elections in Morocco caused women鈥檚 representation in the legislature to increase Moreover, Moroccans elected 10 more women to the parliament than dictated by the quota of 71 women parliamentarians. In Kuwait however, who ran for a seat in the country鈥檚 50-person legislature received enough votes to become a parliamentarian. In late December, Omanis voted for candidates to join the Municipal Council; , which is an increase from the four who won in the 2012 elections. Additionally, on the council, which is unprecedented for the Sultanate. Looking ahead, Egypt is aiming to increase the number of women in public service; the National Council for Women to run in local council elections.

Women also had mixed success obtaining appointed public service positions during the last several months. In Morocco, to positions around the world, one of whom will be Morocco鈥檚 first woman ambassador to the United States. In Israel, , a first for their community. Women are also being appointed to senior security posts in the MENA region; in Kuwait, women can now serve on the and for the first time . However, there have been some setbacks for women seeking appointed positions: Libyan women , Iranian women activists have criticized, and Lebanon鈥檚 .

It should be noted that women鈥檚 representation in public service does not always guarantee the expansion of women鈥檚 rights. In December, Mounia Meslem鈥擜lgeria's Minister of National Solidarity, Family, and Women鈥檚 Affairs鈥攁rgued to alleviate Algeria鈥檚 financial woes.

Women in Conflict Situations

In the past few months, there were relatively few stories about women in conflict situations鈥攕ome about women being held by ISIS, some about the situation for women in Syria, and one about how the ongoing conflict in Yemen has affected women. In October, who had been taken by ISIS in 2014 were transferred from Mosul, Iraq to Raqqa, Syria because of Iraqi-led efforts to recapture Mosul from ISIS. Another article detailed one family鈥檚 search for their a three-year-old who was taken by ISIS two years ago. In Syria, a seven-year-old girl, , captured international attention as she tweeted about life in Aleppo. Her account went silent as bombing of the city continued, until in mid-December and welcomed in Turkey. The BBC captured the plight of displaced in a recent photo collection.

While news about women being held in ISIS-controlled territory has declined, there have been more articles about survivors who escape with most reports describing how numerous challenges remain post-ISIS. One article described the ordeal of a group of women who were captured and held as slaves by ISIS in Sirte, Libya and how after their escape they were . Other reports underscored the even after escaping from ISIS and the aftermath of young . The impact of child marriage is also evident for Syrian girls at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, where the to 25 percent in 2013, according to UNICEF.

Even with these articles on the continual difficulty for women in conflict zones, there were some positive stories from the past quarter to note. , a Yazidi woman who escaped ISIS, received the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize in October after being named a UN Goodwill Ambassador in the previous month. News of an fighting ISIS was joined by an increase in the number of , which has reached around 3,000. Women volunteers in Turkey are supporting and helping Syrian refugees as the 鈥渟olely-.鈥�