Posts Tagged ‘gender’
The (slowly) changing role of women in Saudi Arabia
National culture changes very slowly, but there is no doubt that it is something that constantly evolves. Sometimes in small ways over centuries, and sometimes in bigger ways over shorter periods of time. One example of this is the role of women in the Middle East, and particularly in the conservative nation of Saudi Arabia. [...]
Changing world clashes with Indian traditions
As globalization creeps into every corner of the globe, the traditional values of some cultures are bound to clash with the changing values and morals of a younger generation that has been exposed to a wider world. And so in India, when young women go out to a club after work, it offends the sensibilities of a [...]
Oprah inspires … Saudi women
Yes, apparently “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is a hit even in Saudi Arabia, where Oprah has become a source of inspiration to many Saudi women. When “The Oprah Winfrey Show” was first broadcast in Saudi Arabia in November 2004 on a Dubai-based satellite channel, it became an immediate sensation among young Saudi women. Within months, [...]
Saudi gender relations: the female view
Yesterday, I had a post about gender relations in Saudi Arabia and the remarkable lengths that the society goes to in order to maintain separation between males and females of different families. I linked to a story in the International Herald Tribune in which young men were interviewed about their interactions with women. Today, we cover [...]
Saudi gender relations: the male view
It’s easy in the West for us to express shock or dismay at the state of gender relations in some Arab countries (the veiling of women, the separation of the sexes, etc.), and particularly in a very conservative culture such as Saudi Arabia’s. However, it’s also easy for us to forget that many people in those [...]
Can women leaders move beyond war?
Interesting story in the Christian Science Monitor about female leaders from 45 countries who met in India last week to mark International Women’s Day and to discuss a feminine style of leadership that they believe could help move the world beyond war. She is one of several hundred prominent female leaders from 45 countries who [...]
New realities for India’s younger generations
The economic advances that have been made during the past decade or so in India are beginning to change the country in ways that reach beyond bank accounts and consumer goods. India’s younger generations, for example, have developed high expectations for their careers and are even beginning to question centuries-old social values. Business Week reports on the changes: [...]
The travails of a female Indian tennis star
Most people are likely not familiar with the name Sania Mirza. Nor should they be, really, since she’s an Asian female tennis player who has of late been ranked about 30th in the world singles rankings. In short, she’s an excellent tennis player, but she’s not exactly Maria Sharapova or Serena Williams. In India, however, it’s a [...]
Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia
Well, it’s a small sign of progress, at least. It’s possible that women in Saudi Arabia will soon gain the right to drive. Buoyed by recent advances in women’s rights, advocates for the right of women to drive in Saudi Arabia — the only country in the world that prohibits female drivers — say they [...]
Men, women and an Omani classroom
Baxter Jackson went to Oman to each English and ended up learning a thing or two about the relations between males and females in that Muslim society. He wrote about his teaching experiences for Lonely Planet. I sneak a peek at (the men) in their starched-white dishdashas (wrist-to-ankle shirt-dresses) and embroidered caps as they wait patiently for [...]
New freedoms for young women in India
As more young women in India join the workforce and move out of their family’s homes, they are gaining an independence and confronting issues that their mothers could never have imagined. There was an interesting article about this topic recently in the International Herald Tribune. Not long ago, an Indian woman, even a working Indian woman, [...]
Afghan women take up boxing
A few months ago, I linked to a unique story about females in Thailand who had taken up kickboxing. Now, it seems, according to this Associated Press article, young women in Afghanistan are trying to shatter more gender barriers by taking up the traditional sport of boxing. The boxers belong to a new generation of Afghan youth, [...]
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