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The Arab woman and the international conventions

المرأة العربية والاتفاقيات الدولية

The 'Al-Wasatiyya' episode on the woman's global and Arab status and the international conventions. The youth voted: only 8% judged the woman's global situation worse than the man's, 1 and 32% judged the Arab woman worse than the rest of the world. 2 Figures aired: women do two-thirds of the world's work hours yet receive a tenth of its income, and Rwanda's parliament is 49% women while America's is less 3 4. The host concluded: take from the conventions what lifts injustice from women and reject what collides with religion — 'and this is the wasatiyya' 5 6.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Contemporary Era
Region
Arab world · Global / Diaspora
Review
Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Women

The episode and the votes

The 'Al-Wasatiyya' episode debated the woman's global and Arab status and the international conventions — now binding on signatory states with UN monitoring bodies 7 8. The youth voted: only 8% judged the woman's global situation worse than the man's; 1 and 32% judged the Arab woman worse than the rest of the world 2.

Figures of the gap — as the panelists aired them

From the episode's figures: women do two-thirds of the world's work hours yet receive a tenth of its income; 3 women head about 30% of households in the third world; 9 10 and women's parliamentary representation is 15% globally and lower in the Arab states — while Rwanda sits at 49%, above America 4 11.

Did the conventions help?

Panelists split: one saw them making some governments care more, though comparing Beijing 1995 with today shows improvement is not due to them; 12 13 another warned they pour all cultures into one template — restructuring the family and the concept of gender — 'globalisation contains four core issues' 14 15 16. One replied the Arab woman fares better — the Western family is nearly ended 17.

The conclusion — take what lifts injustice

The host closed with the equation: everyone contributes to lifting injustice from women; parts of the conventions excellently serve that end so we support them, and whatever directly collides with our religion we reject, our religion coming first — 'and this is the wasatiyya on the subject' 18 19 5 6.

Opinions on the question

First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame)Main reference

Basis: Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) al-wassitiya ep15, 00:16:00-00:45:30

More opinions (1)

Other viewOther opinion

Basis: Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) al-wassitiya ep15, 01:10:30-01:14:00

People and things also explored

Obstructing a marriage (adl): the guardian and the husband· Fleshy growth in the wife's womb and the right to annul (afal)· Family businesses· The woman left unmarried (anus) and the rules on her consent and maintenance· Maleness (dhukura) as a condition in the rulings· The scarcity of female symbols across history· Dyeing the hair (ikhtidab)· Imra' (woman: her rights, duties and status in fiqh)

Sources

  1. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  2. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:32:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  3. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:16:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  4. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:25:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  5. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:16:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  6. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:17:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  7. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:01:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  8. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:02:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  9. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:19:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  10. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:20:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  11. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:35:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  12. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:10:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  13. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:11:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  14. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:12:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  15. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:13:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  16. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:13:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  17. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 00:43:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  18. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:15:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  19. Assabile archive of Tareq al-Suwaidan's lectures (video) , Al Wassitiya, episode 15, at 01:16:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The Arab woman and the international conventions”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/al-mara-wal-ittifaqiyat-al-dawliyya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-26.

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Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

Obstructing a marriage (adl): the guardian and the husband

In the lexicon, adl means to prevent, and the jurists use it of a guardian who prevents his ward's marriage, and in the case of divorce for ransom of a husband who harms his wife so that she will pay him back. In principle it is forbidden for a guardian to prevent a ward's marriage to a suitable husband, and for a husband to harm his wife to force her to ransom herself; a guardian may be permitted to refuse for the woman's own benefit. A guardian is an obstructer when a woman asks for a suitable husband, or a suitable man proposes, and he refuses without a valid reason, whether or not she asks for her proper dower; the Hanafis do not count refusing a dower below the usual amount as obstruction, and the Malikis do not count a compelling father's rejection of suitors as obstruction unless harm is intended. Once obstruction is proven before the judge, he orders the marriage; if the guardian still refuses, guardianship passes to the ruler according to the Hanafis, Shafi'is, most Malikis and one Hanbali narration, or to the next guardian according to the main Hanbali view; if all guardians obstruct, the judge contracts the marriage.