Adopting Women Quota as a Necessity to Empower Women in the Arab World With Special Reference to the Social and Religious Factor

Abstract

This study aims at assessing the role of women quota in empowering women and enabling them to reach parliaments and decision- making positions as a step towards gaining their rights in Arab societies, with special reference to social and religious factors which play an effective role in the Arab World.

The study is based on the hypothesis that women do not have a chance to win seats or have representatives via traditional elections due to social reasons and popular interpretation of religion. Consequently, the presence of women and equality between sexes is impossible without quota application.

The study carries out a comparative analysis between results of elections held in different parts of the Arab world with and without quotas showing a clear difference in the level of women representation in both cases.

The study assures that there is a trend among political parties and religious authorities towards accepting the quota despite it being a sensitive issue.