Womens Veiled Economic Histories: Women and Development in the Middle East
This 5-page undergraduate essay considers the influence of economic development on the role of women in the Middle East. Ester Boserup’s article “Economic Change and the Role of Women” and Nikki R. Keddie’s article “Deciphering Middle Eastern Women’s History” are used to argue that economic development rather than Islam are key to understanding the changing position of women in the Middle East. This essay begins with a summary of Ester Boserup's approach to economic development and the role of women within various stages of economic development.
Through the use of a modified Boserupian model, this essay examines the socio-economic conditions of women in the pre-modern Middle East. Further, this essay considers Boserup’s opinion regarding the impact of capitalism on women’s roles and the changing roles of Middle Eastern women in modern times. The essay concludes with a consideration of Keddie’s views concerning the controversies about the impact of Islam on women's rights in modern Middle East.
