As part of its monthly lecture program, on Tuesday, 2 January 2024, the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies hosted Rafiah Al Talei, Editor-in-Chief for Sada in Carnegie’s Middle East Program. She gave a lecture entitled “Gulf Women’s Disappointment in Public Spaces: Dithering Policy or Discouraging Culture”, moderated by ACRPS researcher, Alanoud Abdulla Al-Khalifa.

Al Talei began her lecture by noting that the status of Gulf women in politics is determined by a combination of several factors. The researcher recounted personal testimony from her experience in the Omani Shura Council elections in October 2003, during which she met many women candidates. She noticed that society is more appreciative of men, in whom various qualities, which were they in the possession of women would be disliked, are viewed as praiseworthy. The researcher expressed her regret that no woman won in the Omani Shura Council elections held in October 2023, an indication that women’s status is declining in the Arab Gulf countries, despite making huge achievements in areas such as education and health care.

In the same context, Al Talei noted that there is a major flaw in the legal systems of the Gulf countries, as they all have laws that do not treat men and women equally and give men rights that they do not afford to women. Therefore, talking about the issue of women is essentially discussing the issue of injustice, and talking about this issue must aim to remedy this injustice.

Regarding the status of Gulf women in the public space, Al Talei indicated that there are two factors that govern this. The first is official government policy, which she described as “dithering”. In this regard, she pointed out that interest in the issue of women in the Gulf began after 9/11, when the Gulf states began to revise their approaches and policies in line with the US vision regarding the issue of terrorism and respect for “minorities”, including women. However, Al Talei stated that the percentage of women in the government, the Council of Ministers, or other councils in most Gulf countries today does not exceed 20-25 percent, with the exception of the United Arab Emirates, where women’s representation in the Federal Council has reached 50 percent. Women in Oman were the first to be granted the right to run for office and vote in the Gulf in 1994, and two women subsequently won the elections to the Shura Council, and were elected in the following round as well. In Qatar, women gained the right to run and vote in municipal elections in 1999, and in Bahrain in 2002, followed by Kuwait in 2005, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2015.

The second factor is the social and cultural environment. This includes the perception of women and their ability to lead. Traditional gender roles, which specify that the role of women is centered around the family, can discourage women from pursuing paths in politics or public life. Cultural customs, in addition to the absence of legal rights, social and familial pressures, lack of networking opportunities, and lack of representation in public positions are also restrictive to women. The lack of political awareness and experience among some women due to their lack of presence in political positions, the conservative political environment, and restrictions on freedom and freedom of expression, and economic factors. Many women are unable to run an electoral campaign because they do not find the economic support, especially from their tribe, that men do.

In addition to these two factors, Al Talei indicated that there are also two conflicting factors: a youth that aspires to change; and a desire to preserve the status quo.

Al Talei concluded her lecture by stressing the importance of respecting justice as a value. She emphasized the need for gender-sensitive policies, which have a significant impact on women’s political participation in the Gulf, and are designed to address gender inequality, promote women’s rights, and create a more inclusive and just political environment. This also required increased representation of women in political positions, the provision of legal and institutional support, and skill building opportunities. This is a project that the state itself must adopt as a strategic policy in order to bring about political and social change.