Patriarchy is something that we see everyday in our Arab society and sometimes without even noticing, in an indirect manner. Starting with the fact that males still get more privileges than women in the workplace, in their bodies, legal studies…
Patriarchy is not just a word, it became a social construct. Women are housewives, homemakers and men are the ones who are responsible for bread-winning, providing money and a living for his family. It is how it is and women tend to accept it as a reality especially in he Arab world. Women in this region tend to be subordinate to men because they are afraid of being something else and it is literally portrayed in our environment everywhere.
For example, in the media and in video clips, we tend to be advertised as objects or as sexualized beings, there just for the sake of fulfilling what every man wants and his desires
Zaatari(2015), refers to that in his article that scrutinized the popular TV show ‘Bab-EL-Hara”. The Syrian show reflects male dominance as its best; men tend to be violent, aggressive towards their wives and the women in return should obey and be subordinate.
Women cannot go outside without covering their faces and this is said to protect the ‘honor’ of heir family and if she’s married; the honor of her husband. We even take it for granted as being normal. Then again the quote “Women are women, and men are men” comes back to life. BaB-el Hara is still airing and still has the notion of patriarchy as its theme but Im really glad its way less as women tend to leave their houses now and fight along men but in limited manne.
References:
JSC312 