Social justice refers to the fair relationship between an individual and society, and it includes equality in the distribution of wealth, opportunities, rights and social privileges. However, in other societies, this phenomenon is not easily achievable, and there is apparent oppression, inequality, and deprivation of fundamental rights to some individuals by gender, class or social status. Gender inequality has been one of the topics of contention not only in developing countries but the whole world. Women have often been discriminated in issues concerning jobs, education, and even sports. Gender equality has been a far-fetched ideology in some parts of the world and more particularly in the Middle East where women have very limited rights on many issues.
For instance in Saudi Arabia, there has been a long history of oppression against women and this issues has been the subject of debate among gender and human right activists for a long time. However, the limited rights of women in Saudi Arabia do not necessarily reflect the state of women in the larger Muslim world where women are viewed as objects which are weak and veiled. In many Muslim countries today, women enjoy many social and political privileges and rights that include getting equal voting rights, equal employment opportunities, and legalizing issues that were viewed as illegal if they were performed by women like divorce and abortion.
There have been many cases of oppression against women also in Afghanistan due to the Taliban infiltration and control of the major issues in the society. Forced marriages, denying women a chance to acquire education, domestic violence against women and rape are some of the issues that have been highlighted in the recent past. It is no doubt that women in developing countries especially in Africa and in the Middle East have experienced a limited freedom of speech, movement, right to education and have continued to endure many social injustices like rape and beatings. The authorities often ignore their plight, and this state does not do anything in upholding the rights of the women which makes the inequalities even more severe. The problems that women in the Middle Eastern countries encounter have continued to be serious and the conservative interpretations of religious laws have continued to burden the women in the society by denying them an opportunity to participate in important matters in the society.
The issues affecting women that this article seeks to highlight are the social injustices that women have faced and how they have significantly affected the development of women participation in important issues of the society. Unequal treatment of individuals by gender is an unacceptable social problem that needs to be looked into with seriousness and solutions should be formulated on how the inequalities should be eliminated. Political oppression has mainly been one of the injustices that are meted out to women in Middle Eastern, Asian and African countries. Women are often given limited chances of participating in the process of politics, and they have little representation in the political arena of these respective countries. The governments of these countries have managed to suppress the voices of women in making significant political contributions to the national issues of these states by enacting laws that exclude their participation in these processes.
Another social injustice that the women from these countries face is the limited or no access to education. Despite the fact that human development has been steadily growing in these countries, the educational gains that have been achieved by women are yet to translate into significant empowerment and active participation in public life. Limited education as led to high rates of unemployment among women and this has resulted in the little economic empowerment of this group towards the affairs of the state, and this means that public and economic participation of women has remained low (Turner 2002). Some countries in these regions have tried to improve the access to education by women through investment in education sector. However, this has not been reflected in the labor force participation by women because not many women have been able to find jobs or work in jobs that have been traditionally for men (Kucuk 2013). The push towards improving the quality and access to women’s education coupled with the growing number of women in the workplace have prompted many women and activists to demand other rights in the other aspects of life including family, economic matters and politics (Klugman, Kolb & Morton 2014).
Some governments have denied any participation of women in the top positions in the government based on some religious interpretations, and this has been seen as a scheme to lock out women in active governance and mainstream politics. Religious clerics, most of whom are men, have continued to enjoy exclusive powers and privileges, and they also have tremendous influence in every aspect of social life including family, economy, politics, health and education. Sexism is a serious issue in the Middle Eastern and some African countries, whereby women have continued to endure this kind of oppression and discrimination. Most of the Muslim countries where sexism is extreme, many sexist practices and views that have been sanctioned and perpetuated by Islam include limited ownership of property by women, polygamy, wife obedience, forced marriages, and unequal treatment of widows. Although it has been said that religion plays a major role in the gender inequalities and oppression in Muslim countries, it is not solely responsible for the gender problems in these countries.
The role of culture in perpetuating the oppression and discrimination of women cannot be downplayed as well. Some cultural practices like female genital mutilation have also played a significant role in downplaying the important role of women in the society. The practice which is dominantly practiced in African cultures is claimed to be based on religious interpretations, but it lacks a basis in Islam. Islamic principles and ideologies have always upheld the concept of equality and brotherhood of all human beings (Esposito 17). The Holy Quran proclaims that all humans have a common lineage and, therefore, they descended from one origin, and it addresses the rights and duties of both men and women. Therefore, Islam upholds the principle that all should be given equal rights and opportunities (Jarallah 1996). However, this notion has not been executed by the dubious interpretation of the scriptures contained in the Holy book and these principles keep on being violated each and every day. Equality between men and women has not been adequately dealt with or met to ensure both genders have a level playing field when taking part in social issues.
It is no doubt that developing countries have developed a monopoly of gender inequality. Rape is also one of the contentious problems that have been observed in these developing countries. Women who have been raped are often victimized and stigmatized and end up not reporting such injustices. Apart from these social injustices against women in these countries, there are also some social justice issues that need to be addressed in these countries. Issues of wealth inequalities also need to be addressed because there is a huge income gap between the populations. The problem leads to segregation of the poor by the higher class who often has a controlling stake in the economy. Social justice incorporates the maintaining of social balance and providing the necessary needs to maximize productivity as well the willingness to support the state (Darling 5). Every member of a state irrespective of their gender, social standing, economic state and political leaning deserves equal social rights and opportunities in realizing their goals and objectives. Therefore, all citizens must receive what they are entitled to in the society without any discrimination or oppression and the infringement of their rights.
Work cited
Darling, L. A History of Social Justice and Political Power in the Middle East. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Esposito, J. Islam and Politics. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1998. Print.
Jarallah, S. A Woman’s Status in Islam. Manar Al-Sabeel Journal 1.2 (1996): pp. 45-53. Print.
Kucuk, N. Gender Inequality in the MENA: Myths versus Facts. Topics in Middle Eastern and African Economies 15.2 (2013): pp. 71-104. Print.
Klugman, J., Kolb, H. & Morton, M. Persistent Gender Inequality in the World of Work. The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs 32.2 (2014): pp. 133-152. Print.
Turner, C. Women of Color in Academe: Living with Multiple Marginality. The Journal of Higher Education 73.1 (2002): pp. 74-93. Print.
