To look at the conditions that women live in the Middle East will determine where they live exactly. The Middle East consists of quite a few countries and different ways of thinking. What seems to stick out in my mind are the news reports about how women are told they could never be uncovered out in public and how they must walk behind their husbands as well as marry very young. These only apply in certain countries and for the most part the women are not treated like this.
Afghanistan is probably the worst in how women live. Up until 1996 things were not so bad for women. They worked outside the home and they went to school. However, once the Islamic militia took leadership in this country everything changed. Women cannot leave the house without being accompanied by a man. When they leave the house they must wear a Burqa which allows only their eyes to show. The women that once went to school and once worked were forced to give up everything and were beaten and forced to immediately return home when they tried to continue with their daily routine.
Saudi Arabia is a bit different than Afghanistan. They do restrict their women from such things as voting or dressing as they wish, yet there is a different viewpoint to why the women are expected to do certain things. In Saudi Arabia women are expected to eat and shop away from men. They are expected to remain covered, but they do not have to wear a burqua. This is a place you must understand before ever going to it. Women are thought of as highly sexual beings that need to be away from the men in order for the men to concentrate. When a girl marries a man they are expected to remain together forever. The girl is expected to have many children but she is well taken care of at the same time.
There is going to be no thought of how she is going to survive even if her husband died. She inherits the money. Saudi Arabia is one of the richest countries in the world. The women may not be able to eat with the men at a restaurant or go shopping with the men, but when they are at home they are treated like gold. They are highly respected, but as an American woman, we do not see it that way. There are cases of abuse as there is everywhere. I would say Afghanistan is probably the worst place that a woman could ever live especially when it comes to abuse.
Egypt is far from the likes of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Egypt gives women much more freedom. They prefer marriages that are set up between parents however, the children are free to marry whoever they wish. Since Egypt is primarily Muslim they do request women keep their heads covered by at least a scarf. As a tourist, women can dress as they wish but understand how the culture is. Respect how they see women in a respectful but desirable manner. You will want to keep your head covered and wear pants or a long dress. Women have the right to work, go to school, and they inherit all of the money from their husband in case of death. The women are looked after and highly respected. They are not separated from the men unless they are praying at the mosque. There are a number of Christian families in Egypt too and when the women go to church they dress like everyone else. They all will wear hats or scarves to cover their hair since the hair is considered a desirable part of the women.
Lebanon is a country filled with a variety cultures. Women there are not repressed at all and have numerous groups that fight for more rights to get involved in such things as political and economic issues of the country. Music is popular in Lebanon where female singers promote their songs with risqué videos. The women in Lebanon may not have as many rights as an American woman, but they are well on their way.
Basically, depending on where a woman lives in the Middle East will determine on how she is looked at, treated, and how independent she can be. She can either live a very good life or one that is hard and restrictive. It is not very easy to understand how women are treated in some of the Arab countries, but we must also recognize that they are not all the same. Each country should be seen separately and not clumped together as one group that treats women horribly. This simply is not fair to the Arab countries that don't treat women badly or are not highly restrictive.
