Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa
By (author) Ghada Talhami
Publication date:
19 December 2012Length of book:
440 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressDimensions:
238x165mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9780810868588
The overriding theme of this work is that women’s struggles, human rights, myths, and literary expression are indispensable to an understanding of the modern culture and socio-political development of the Middle East region. The work demonstrates that no aspect of Middle Eastern history and modern evolution was shaped in isolation of women’s lives and contributions to society. The dictionary covers the biographies and written work of prominent historical female figures in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as 20th-century feminists, both male and female, who advanced women’s rights over many years.
The Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa includes a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and a dictionary section that has over 400 cross-referenced entries on various aspects of Middle Eastern feminism and culture, touching upon religious themes such as Sharia laws, Islamic marriage, divorce, and inheritance practices. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the culture and history of women in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa includes a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and a dictionary section that has over 400 cross-referenced entries on various aspects of Middle Eastern feminism and culture, touching upon religious themes such as Sharia laws, Islamic marriage, divorce, and inheritance practices. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the culture and history of women in the Middle East and North Africa.
Talhami’s (politics, emerita, Lake Forest College, IL; The Mobilization of Muslim Women in Egypt) concise book begins with an excellent chronology of the significant political, social, and cultural events that have affected the lives of women in the region, and follows with an introduction that provides a brief but rich history of the contributions of women in the Middle East and North Africa, again from political, social, and cultural viewpoints. Researchers will find entries about women and men who were or are activists, journalists, poets, novelists, and political leaders whose work helped improve the status of area women. In addition to the entries about individuals, numerous entries cover nongovernmental organizations, marriage, education, feminist organizations, movements, and religious laws. The extensive bibliography, arranged by topic, includes films and works in Arabic. VERDICTStudents and researchers can use this dictionary as a starting point for their research, making it a solid addition to academic reference collections.