‘In the Shadow of the State: Changing Definitions of Arab Women’s “Developmental” Citizenship Rights’, authored by Mervet F. Hatem, argues that the power of the state in Arab societies, coupled with the absence or weakness of independent women’s organisations, explains the slow progress made toward deepening women’s citizenship rights in the region.
The paper offers a historical overview of the roles that the state and/or women have played in pushing women’s “developmental” citizenship rights over the last sixty years including the rights to access education, healthcare, employment and political participation.