Abstract
In order to understand the predicament of Muslim women in Egypt, it is necessary to look beyond religion to the strong social and cultural forces, which shape their position in society. Islam is often held responsible for the inequitable and sometimes violent treatment of women in Egypt. However, Islam is unjustifiably blamed for such discriminatory practices against women. The Islamic rights granted to women are, for the most part, just. Women have gained more rights over the years; nevertheless, they continue to suffer, as these rights are often not put into practice, because of social and cultural influences. The Islamic religion is all too often misunderstood and held accountable for the unacceptable treatment of women; whereas in reality, cultural traditions have led to this inequity.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
AARP. (2001). Census 2000 data about Grandparent Headed Households. Retrieved March 12, 2004, from http://www.aarp. org/Articles/a2004-01-16census2000data.html.
Albert, S. M., Glied, S., & Andrews, H. (2001). Primary care expenditures before the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Neurology, 59(4), 573–578.
Anas, E., Anderson, R., Hsiang-Ching, K., Murphy, S. L., & Kochanek, K. D. (2003). National Vital Statistics Reports (Center for Disease Control), 52(3), 1–116.
Baltes, P. B., Smith, J., & Staudinger, U. M. (1991). Wisdom and successful ageing. Nebraska Symposium of Motivation, 39, 123.
El-Safty, M. (1995). The transformation in the Arab family (Monograph for The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, ESCWA, Abu Dhabi, in Arabic and English). Retrieved April 21, 1992, from http://E/ESCWA/SD.
El-Safty, M. (1996a). The Egyptian woman at work. Cairo, Egypt: ILO and the Embassy of the Netherlands.
El-Safty, M. (1996b). Egyptian women between two trends. In O. El Baz (Ed.), Egypt in the Twenty First Century(in Arabic; pp. 123–135). Al Ahram.
El-Safty, M. (1997). The sociological profile(Monograph in the research on enhancing the socioeconomic status of the Egyptian woman). Cairo, Egypt: Social Research Center of the American University.
El-Safty, M. (2000). Are women losers or winners in the structural adjustment program in Egypt?Paper presented at the First Mediterranean Meeting, Florence, Italy.
El-Safty, M. (2001a). Women in Egypt: Legal rights vs. cultural constraints. Paper presented at the conference on Sustainable Development, Washington, DC: George Washington University.
El-Safty, M. (2001b). Women and the vicious cycle of poverty. Paper presented at the symposium on Poverty, NGO's and the Development, Inter-University Consortium for International Social Development, Cairo, Egypt: Ohio State University.
Foos, P. W., & Clark, M. C. (2000). Old age, inhibition, and the part-set cuing effect. Educational Gerontology, 26(2), 155–160.
Harold, S. (1992). Education in later life: The case of older women. Educational Gerontology, 18(5), 511–527.
Jackson, M. (1987). "Facts of life" or the eroticization of women's oppression? Sexology and the social construction of homosexuality. In P. Caplan (Ed.), The cultural construction of homosexuality (pp. 52–61). London: Tavistock.
Johnson, C. L. (1994). Differential expectations and realities: Race, socioeconomic status, and health of the oldest old. International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 38, 13–27.
Levinson, D. J., Darrow, C. N., Klein, E. B., Levinson, M. H., & McKee, B. (1978). The seasons of a man's life. NewYork: Knopf.
National Center for Health Statistics. (1997). Vital statistics in the United States. Retrieved March 12, 2004, from www.census.gov/prod/3/97pubs/97statab/vitstat.pdf.
Neugarten, B. L. (Ed.) (1967). Middle age and ageing: A reader in social psychology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Shenk, D., & Fullmer, E. (1996). Significant relationships among older women: Cultural and personal constructions of lesbianism. In K. A. Roberto (Ed.), Relationships between women in later life (pp. 75–89). New York: Harrington Park Press.
Women's Health Initiative. (2002). Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women. JAMA, 288(3), 321–333.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
El-Safty, M. Women in Egypt: Islamic Rights Versus Cultural Practice. Sex Roles 51, 273–281 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000046611.31760.04
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SERS.0000046611.31760.04