Margo Alana Larson and Dr. Donna Lee Bowen, Political Science
Western perception of Muslim women remains riddled with negative stigmas regarding women’s perceived lack of personal status rights. France as the center of all cultural advances was thought of as being advanced in the area of female status rights as well. As ideas moved from this Parisian cultural center to North Africa—the periphery of French civilization, North African female status laws were modified. Yet who can to say these changes were for the good or were in areas in which the French were more advance? This thesis has examined the idea that Western women have gained rights more quickly and of a greater quality than women in Muslim countries.
My research expectation anticipated information would show that rights were gained in approximately same time patterns as the French. The areas of suffrage, contraceptive availability, and divorce were the examining points for this conjecture. As such, conclusions have been reached about each area.
Suffrage
The right to vote was granted to French women in 1944 (Ramsay 2003, 1); yet disturbingly, the proportion of female women in high political office in May 1997 was lower than in 1945 when women first exercised their right to vote (Ramsay 2003, 1). In North Africa, women were granted the right to vote concurrently with the liberation of their country and men’s right to vote—1956 in Tunisia and Morocco. There was no hesitation in these Muslim countries over granting equal political power to their women as there had been in France. Furthermore, instead of hesitating about using their voting power and running for office, women in Morocco and Tunisia have been in their legislatures at a larger level than ever before in recent years, and there is no sign of flagging political participation. Because measuring in time (with the caveat that French colonizers made suffrage impossible until this 1956, and at this time women were given full suffrage by their governments, unlike the French) is less indicative of rights, measuring by the quality of progress, North African women have a more progressive personal status in the area of suffrage. They willingly take on a fuller role in politics.
Contraceptives
French women were able to legally use contraception in 1967. Yet at this early grant of legalization, restricted availability allowed only women who had a prescription from their doctor, based on a demonstrated medical need, to access contraceptives. Finally in 1974, amendments made the diffusion of medical contraceptives almost complete in France. Women in Morocco could obtain contraceptives and family planning since 1967 after repeal of the French law of July 1939 which prohibited them. Tunisia repealed the French anticontraception law of 1920 in 1961, stating that the importation, sale and advertising of contraception would be henceforth regulated by the legislation governing other pharmaceutical products. Tunisia’s family planning program was started in a few regions in 1964, then spread nation wide in 1966, one year before Morocco and France reformed contraception laws. Decreasing fertility rates in Morocco (3.1) and especially Tunisia (2.6) have proved that the use of contraceptives and family planning is widespread throughout urban and suburban populations. Indirect support is provided by the French government, whereas direct support is instituted by both the Moroccan and Tunisian government (United Nations Population Division, 2003). Thus a comparison of time shows France and Morocco at exactly the same year, while Tunisia was six years ahead. French laws were the barrier to contraceptive use, and once repealed, the extent to which contraceptives and family planning in Morocco and Tunisia were accepted was more widespread across the country than in France.
Divorce
Women in France could divorce as early as 1974 where the language in French laws was changed to reflect the equal partnership between men and women in marriage. The upsurge in divorces following the legal reforms indicates women were ready and widely accepting the modification. In North Africa, this law represents the final frontier for women. Tunisia, like France, reformed its divorce laws at approximately the same time to allow women the right to divorce. Morocco, however, continues to struggle with this reform. Reforms in 1993 limited a husband’s right to divorce at will. As women’s groups continue to pressure the government, more rights will be granted. Thus, women in France and Tunisia were granted the right to divorce at approximately the same time, though the quality of the reform could be said to be greater in France because of the widespread acceptance. Muslim women continue to have legal and qualitative bounds to address in this area.
My work did turn out the way I hypothesized in the research proposal. The greatest problem I encountered while researching was to stay focused on the three variables included in the design. One of the areas where I had to work to solidify research was defending the countries I used in the study and providing information which showed that legislation translated into social policy. I feel I successfully surmounted this difficulty by compiling statistics gathered by the UN on the changing demographics in each of the three countries.
One area that could use further research would be broadening the countries included in the study. Egypt, Jordan, Ghana, or other countries in North Africa, if included, would give a more rounded feeling to the research results.