http://womensvoicesnow.org/index.php/site/index/ en betsy@womensvoicesnow.org Copyright 2012 2012-01-10T02:33:32+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/muntada_promoting_sexuality_and_reproductive_health_in_palestinian_society/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/muntada_promoting_sexuality_and_reproductive_health_in_palestinian_society/ WATCH great film from Muntada- The Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and HealthMuntada - The Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health - is a national organization committed to the social development of Palestinian society, by addressing educational and counseling needs as they relate to sexuality and reproductive health. Regarded locally as a major professional and intellectual nexus in the field of human sexuality, Muntada is also dynamically building connections with Arab and international networks in this field that share the principles of universal human rights and sustainable development. Let us know your thoughts on their marvelous film Jensaneya”(Sexuality) !                       Find about more about Muntada HERE! 2012-01-10T02:33:32+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/cinema_under_the_stars_-_amman/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/cinema_under_the_stars_-_amman/ The Royal Film Commission was not opposed to pushing the line with our program Love, Sex and Other Dangerous Pursuits.Tuesday was our first of two nights screening with the Royal Film Commission in Amman, Jordan.  Under an umbrella of stars and a scenic view of the city, a full house laughed generously during Male and Female, and applauded Spring ’89 and Somaye. On the flipside, we had an exodus of attendees after the showing of Her Man given the film’s portrayal of the taboo subject of homosexuality. The Royal Film Commission was not opposed to pushing the line with our program Love, Sex and Other Dangerous Pursuits.  For the lively discussion to follow we were joined by Mousa Naffa, Director of the Women’s Empowerment Project at the Queen Zein al Sharaf Institute for Development; and film director Abdelsalaam Al Hajj who had made a controversial short film exposing the condition of women in his small town of Umm Qais, an area notorious for its ultra conservative and rigid traditions. When discussion Male and Female, one man in the audience pointed out that originally people used to keep having children until a boy was born to help with the hard work in the fields. Now that the problem no longer exists, people like having girls, the man assured us.  A woman firmly responded, “How can you say that? People still prefer boys.  Mostly they want more men to carry the family name.  While their girls are the ones capable of doing so much more.  We work and we take care of our families and homes. Women do twice the work that men do.“ It was validating to have RAWI - a storytelling news program - attend the event and interview both me and Catinca.  We spoke about the purpose of the Festival, our goals for the Jordanian Tour and our incredible experiences while we’ve been here.  The journalists loved the concept and were excited about the bi-lingual aspect of both the event and the interview.  “Jordan is changing quickly, half the time we’re just trying to keep up,” one of the journalists said. Another younger man in the front row voiced his opinion that that the issues in the films are just about a select few cases but that overall there are no problems in Jordan.  His sister quickly grabbed the microphone and said, “No, we have problems. Many problems!” Panelist Abdelsalaam responded by pointing out that in Amman maybe we don’t see many of these problems but we shouldn’t forget to look out for our brothers and sisters living in other parts of the country that don’t have the same privileges. “Women’s rights are an extension of society. They are an ongoing issue. In some places there are more rights than others and the problems are easier to manage, while in other parts life is all but impossible for women!  But, all of this is reflective of our society and our people.” A woman hidden in the shadow of the bright lights softly responded that women have convinced themselves that all they need is basic rights and there is a ceiling, they can’t go much higher.  She continued by saying that women should equip themselves with the knowledge and power to create the change for more than just the basics.  “The basics aren’t enough,” she asserted.  Again, the issue of the lack of protection from the lawmakers came up. One woman spoke of domestic violence.  “If a woman is beaten repeatedly, there is no recourse for her.”  Panelist Mousa informed her of the new domestic abuse hotline and shelters that have been established under Queen Rania.  The issue is that women feel ashamed to speak of the abuse because society reprimands them for speaking ill of their husbands and they are accused of tarnishing their family’s reputation.  A man argued that some issues such as honor killings are made to be such a big deal but really no one ever hears too much about them so it must all be hype. To the audience’s shock, Mousa cited that 14 honor killings were reported last year in Jordan.  Catinca pointed out that during our Hashemite University event, the nurses told us that every week there is an honor killing case that comes in.  One young man responded that he proudly feels Islam gives many rights to women. The problem is that society skews religious teachings to justify hateful acts like honor killings. I told him this was an excellent point because in religious countries such as Jordan, the line between religion, culture and state is too often blurred and the privileges abused. We were impressed an inspired by the level and diversity of dialogue taking place between all these different people in Jordan’s capital.  It is important that the dialogue on women’s rights continue, Mousa pointed out, so that we don’t forget our problems as a people and that we need to always be improving and changing our society. 2011-10-20T18:39:06+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/all_in_the_family/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/all_in_the_family/ Why shouldn’t I earn my own money to feed me and my daughter? Why put myself in a position where I have to beg my brother to give me two small chickens to feed us? By working, no one can tell me I took bread from them.The Sharaka Center is a small community resource located in the predominantly Christian governorate of Madaba.  We had an attendance of young and old alike to watch our program The Warrior and The Slave. The head of the Center told us the people came today because they like to watch movies, something not common in Madeba which does not have a local cinema.  We received strong reactions to Breaking the Silence and warm laughter during Laila and the Garbage Man. After the 90-minute screening, Layla Hamarneh, Director of Projects for the Arab Woman Organization which is located in several Middle Eastern countries and runs 90 chapters in Jordan alone, urged the audience to express their thoughts about the films they had just watched.  One woman in the front row who was attending with her three children ages 5, 7 and 10, started the conversation by firmly stating: “these problems are too big. There is no hope.”  Another person echoed, “Where are the solutions in your films?” Layla and I responded that the solutions have to come from the people, which is the reason for our screening and discussion today.  Another woman supported our argument using Thorns and Silk as her ammunition.  She explained, “I was the first woman in my village to work in a shop. I used to sow curtains and other textiles. The people would look at me badly and criticize me.”  We came to find out her husband had left her after their daughter had turned three, now 12 and sitting next to her listening intently to the conversation.  The woman continued, “Why shouldn’t I earn my own money to feed me and my daughter?  Why put myself in a position where I have to beg my brother to give me two small chickens to feed us?  By working, no one can tell me I took bread from them.”  At this point the men in the room started to chime in, pointing out that the problem lies with society.  “It is very hard for a woman to drive a taxi or work as a mechanic.  Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t let my daughter go where she wants, or do anything she wants because the people will talk and cause us problems.”  Another man made a counter point that the problem is with the laws in Jordan.  The law does not protect women so women need to fight for their rights in the form of better legislation he explained.  “The decision makers are the only solution. If they say more rights for women then the women will have more rights. Change won’t happen by us sitting around and talking.”  A man in the back of the room quickly stood up and said in a booming voice:  “Who are you kidding?  Look at the King of Saudi Arabia.  He goes on television and says women are his sisters and highly regarded.  Yet, in his country, women don’t even have the basic right to drive and just got the right to vote this month.  How is it that in the 21st century, his government is still talking about such basic rights?”  A woman who had remained quiet up to this point believed that the Jordanian government did not take women’s rights seriously.  She pointed to a law which prohibits women from passing down their Jordanian citizenship to their children.  The mention of this issue sparked a long debate.  Layla told the audience about a strong campaign currently ongoing in Jordan and about a team of filmmakers who are making films about this problem.  Without the ability to pass on her citizenship to her children, if something happens to the mother or there is a divorce, the children take the father’s non-Jordanian citizenship.  A man who had clearly become frustrated with the discussion on the problems facing women spoke up. “You are only showing these films because you’re trying to say men are the center of society and women are having to scrounge for the most basic rights.  But why aren’t you highlighting equality?  Or the fact that some women work not to survive but some do it to simply to have a life?  Once we ended the discussion and invited our audience to continue the dialogue among themselves and within their communities, the woman that had first spoke of no hope approached me.  She expressed that she’d had a change of heart:  “I ask my friend to come to the Sharaka Center with me. I tell her that here we are provided with support, discussions, visits to other parts of the country.  She refuses to come.  She has given up that there will be any change.  But I feel if we just sit back and give in then definitely nothing will happen.”  All I could do was smile.  Mission accomplished.  The director of the Center informed us that the audience was very pleased with our screening and wanted us to come back with more films. Suzie Abdou Director of Global Programs 2011-10-19T20:48:40+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/arab_film_festival_in_los_angeles/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/arab_film_festival_in_los_angeles/ WVN co-sponsors 2 films about women this weekend in LA. The Arab Film Festival Highlights Voices of the Arab Spring WHAT: The 15th Annual Arab Film Festival is coming to Los Angeles, October 21st-23rd. Come view a broad selection of films that tell stories of romance, humor and unrest in the Middle East. Amid the political upheaval of the Arab Spring, filmmakers explore the issues that sparked the courage and spirit of a people resolved to fight for their humanity. WVN will be co-sponsoring Three Veils and The Kingdom of Women. The Festival opens with Mohamed Amin’s, Egyptian Maidens. Set against the backdrop of an Egypt on the brink of revolution, Egyptian Maidens, follows two unmarried women as they navigate the clash between traditional values and their emerging sense of independence, in a country also seeking to carve out a new path. The Festival opens on October 21st at 6:30 pm with a cocktail and mezze reception, followed by the Centerpiece screening of Egyptian Maidens. Complete Film listings available at http://www.arabfilmfestival.org WHEN: OCTOBER 21st -23rd WHERE: Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills 135 South Doheny Drive Beverly Hills, CA, 90211 TICKETS: Screenings: $12 LA all access: $80 Centerpiece: $20 (includes cocktails and mezze reception and Egyptian Maidens screening) Students/Seniors: $10 WEBSITE: http://www.arabfilmfestival.org CONTACT: Carmen Mitchell carmen@arabfilmfestival.org (323) 386-4636 2011-10-19T13:45:28+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/sexy_time_and_nursing_school/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/sexy_time_and_nursing_school/ “The problem is that men here are obsessed with the vagina!” exclaimed the only woman in the room not wearing the hijab.Our seminar at the Jordan University for Science and Technology in Irbid was yet again a new and exciting experience.  The women here were in their 30s and 40s and all master students of nursing, many of whom have been practicing maternal health for many years, as well as professors and directors of health programs. We presented our Woman Warrior program which our audience connected to as they too are breaking boundaries in their own communities by engaging in unconventional careers instead of the traditional choice of being housewives.  “I am a doctor because I always insisted.”  Said Laila, a director at the School of Nursing.  I did not take no for an answer when my family and friends disagreed with my choice of education and profession.  Now, they are all very proud of me, but it took a long time.” The timing issue came up a lot:  “You can’t make change over night, but little by little, change can and is happening in Jordan,” a professor offered. One topic of conversation that surprised us was that of female sexuality. The discussion stemmed from Face, a film that we have not been able to show anywhere else in Jordan.  The group was candid about their thoughts, their personal relationships and their work with women in hospitals and clinics.  Although we had had some worries about showing the piece, several women chose it as their favorite of the program. One woman told us about her first experience with a sexuality question:  “I was very surprised the first time a woman came to me and asked me if I could help her learn how to please her husband.  Sex in our culture is something that is not spoken about openly, not even in the bedroom.”  I laughed, “It’s not easy in our culture either unfortunately, but we do focus on educating both boys and girls from a young age so they know how to protect themselves and how to say ‘no’ when they do not want to engage in sexual situations.”  Another woman continued:  “Yes, here too, we are fighting to start courses on sexual health starting in the 4th grade.” The group turned to the problems experienced by women with sexual rights in Jordan:  (i) how to say no, even to their husbands, so they can decide when and how they have sex, (ii) physical, emotional and spiritual abuse, (iii) the fight for reproductive rights and female health government support, and (iv) the high maternal mortality rate due to the quality of care and distribution of resources between the rural and urban populations.  We did meet some resistance.  One woman kept saying how it was not bad for women in Jordan, how they could be free and open like Western women.  “Yes, but that is because you have a progressive husband,” another woman in the group responded, “it is not the same for many women here. Overall, most women agreed that these were cultural and human rights issues, and in order to be effective, activists and NGOs must stay away from religion in their work and discussions. “The problem is that men here are obsessed with the vagina!” exclaimed one of the woman.  “Amen to that sister” Suzie and I echoed with enthusiasm. In the end however, the emphasis moved away from sexuality and towards the freedom of the mind.  Many of the women explained how it was not about the physical, it was not about their choice of dress; the most important thing was to have a free mind:  “I think that if you change your mind, you can change your life.  Confidence is important and these films can help provide such confidence.” We left inspired and hopeful.  These were the women of tomorrow, the leaders and mothers who will raise free thinking students and children who will transform Jordanian society into a more tolerant, gender equal and safe place for women. Warmly, Catinca Tabacaru WVN Executive Director 2011-10-16T22:36:09+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/not_preaching_to_the_choir/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/not_preaching_to_the_choir/ We talk one way among ourselves at school; about division of gender roles, progress and independence, but in our communities, things are more rigid. Our screening at Hashemite University was in many ways different than the seminar we ran at the University of Jordan.  Hashemite is a much more conservative campus where most students are Jordanian and on average, significantly more religious and more conservative than the those found on the University of Jordan campus.  We screened Girls In The Muslim World for a room of about 70 students, 15% of whom were male students.  During the first discussion, after playing Laila And The Garbage Man, Niger: Djamila’s Story, and The Path To Follow, there was significant push back from a boy in the back wearing ripped jeans and a loud colored tee shirt.  “I don’t understand what these films have to do with women’s issues.” In a nut shell, I answered:  “Laila And The Garbage Man is about girls flourishing when they are encouraged and noticed.  It is about girls doing better in school and in society if their family and culture lets them know they are valued and appreciated.  Djamila’s Story raises awareness about an important issues faced by impoverished Nigerian girls and emphasizes how much education can nurture children’s hearts and minds.  The Path To Follow provides an example of girls being allowed to do something typically not allowed by their societies which empowers them, gives them community and confidence, nurtures an independent spirit, and consequently also provides a method of defense if they are attacked on the street - all things important to raising women who can be equal and significant members of society.” “Oh” the male student said.  Later in the session he provided the following comment which has not been an uncommon question here:  “Are we trying achieve the women rights or are we trying to create copies of liberal America?”  Ironically, his American garb stood in stark in comparison to the heavy raincoats, closed toed show and full head or face coverings his female counterparts were wearing. Now to the good stuff:  the students brought up a lot of ethnic issues.  “We talk one way among ourselves at school; about division of gender roles, progress and independence, but in our communities, things are more rigid.  How do we deal with this?”  One female student in the front asked.  Another student commented:  “Ok, so let’s say my mind is changed, how do I change my culture to fit my new mind?”  These were hard questions and Suzie and I, along with Dr. Dajani, who brought WVN to Hashemite University, tried our best to answer and more importantly to encourage the students to share their own views of how change could be made in their families, communities and in Jordan as a whole.  Later in the day, Dr. Dajani gave us one example of how she changes the minds of her students:  she teaches the power of conditioning of one’s perspective using the old/young woman optical illusion in her biology class.  She takes two examples of the illustration, one that looks more like the old woman and one that looks more like the young woman.  She gives half the class one, and the other half the other.  After two minutes, she projects the actual illustration and almost without exception, the students who had been staring at the old woman variation see the old woman and the students who were staring at the young woman variation see the young woman.  “Sometimes it takes students ten minutes or more to see the other woman in the image.  So I say to them:  If you are conditioned like this after two minutes, imagine what happens with a whole life time of being told something.” There were many girls who did not speak during the session, but it meant the world to us, and hopefully to them as well, that they were there watching the films and listening to the dialogue.  While at the University of Jordan, Dr. Quawas is raising the next generation of feminists, at Hashemite University, Dr. Dajani is taking huge chances in order to work within ethnic restrictions and effect change.  “It takes time to change minds.” Dr. Dajani said to us.  “Everyone always asks me:  Why don’t you go teach at the University of Jordan?  I say, well, if all the good professors went to UJ, who would teach here where it is needed most?”  It is important to point out that it was within this atmosphere that Dr. Dajani made comments like:  “We are not saying that women are trying to usurp men’s roles, but that each gender should share in their roles equally.”  The girls in the room, as well as some of the boys eagerly agreed and contributed their own careful and sensitive thoughts on the ability of women to both cook and clean as well as be educated and work. We are so incredibly humbled by the amazing scholars who have taken a leap of faith and brought to their schools.  Thank you, and may we all continue joining hands in our common struggle for equality and expansion of civil, economic and political rights. Regardless of a willingness to speak, many of the students wrote down their comments on our polls.  Our favorite:  “Thank you very much for these films.  We want you to give us more and more ideas to achieve an excellent population here in Jordan.  Good luck in your work.” Warmly, Catinca Tabacaru WVN Executive Director 2011-10-14T00:21:33+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/university_of_jordan_seminar/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/university_of_jordan_seminar/ I have laughed, cried, open my mouth out of shock and been more educated about how to be a strong woman than I’ve ever been.Suzie and I ran a screening and discussion yesterday afternoon at the University of Jordan.  The event took place in the American Corner of the Language Center and was open to all students.  We screened The Woman Warrior program for a room of 30-35 students, two of whom were male and the rest female.  I was touched to see the entire audience watch with complete attention and audibly react to the films. Instead of presenting a formal panel, we ran the event as a seminar and opened the discussion with a question addressed to the students:  “What did you think?  How did the films make you feel?”  The answers that followed were inspiring: About It Is Written the students used words like free, liberated, flying, amazing, and enlightening to describe their thoughts.  One girl said:  “Before watching this I never thought a woman in a hijab could be free, but now I see that freedom is in the actions, in the mind and in the choice, not in the dress.”  One overall observation was that they were all sad that the dancer “dies” at the end of the film, that she gives up.  Suzie presented an alternative interpretation to them:  everyone dies, but before that happens, the fruit is passed on, and that is the important part, that the work done to liberate women is passed on from generation to generation so that progress can happen on a bigger scale. The overwhelming favorite film was Half Value Life.  The students were impressed by Maria Bashir and her ability and willingness to balance her professional and personal life.  “She is such a warrior,” one student said, “I feel like now I want to dedicate my life to helping women.” One thing to know about University of Jordan is that its student body is generally made up of a more privileged sector of Jordanian society and is attended by a significant number of foreign students as well.  Our audience made comments like:  “ I didn’t know the things women faced!” and “It’s easy for us to understand these issues because we are educated, but I think it is important to bring these films to the poorer, less educated communities.”  When they found out about our numerous screenings in the poorer areas of Jordan at both universities and women’s centers, they were excited and wanted to join us so they could connect with these communities. Our favorite student comment from the poll we took:  “Thank you a lot on everything.  I have laughed, cried, open my mouth out of shock and been more educated about how to be a strong woman than I’ve ever been.” Both Suzie and I were touched by this experience.  We came to Jordan hoping our work would touch people and change their perspectives.  The overwhelming response from the students validated our hopes for this trip and for WVN’s Global tour as a whole.  It has proven that we must continue our travels in Muslim-majority countries to share these critical voices with audiences at all levels of society.  Sincerely,  Catinca 2011-10-12T21:06:40+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/the_visceral_experience_hits_the_hip_jordan_art_scene/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/the_visceral_experience_hits_the_hip_jordan_art_scene/ Last night marked WVN’s first Middle Eastern presence.      Last night marked WVN’s first Middle Eastern presence.  We screened the Visceral Experience, a program made up of 12 experimental films, at Makan Art Space in Amman, Jordan.  When first working on our Jordan campaign, our Director of Global Programs Suzie Abdou contacted Samah Hijjawi at the new and progressive space in the art district of Jebel Webdeh.  The gallery was most interested in our experimental films due to their artistic nature and their ability to explore women’s expressions through an alternative vocabulary including animation, performance art and silent film.  Jordan TV found out about the event through Facebook and made a surprise appearance to interview WVN, Makan and members of our audience for a new cultural program entitled Hamzat Wasil, which was created to reflect the new Jordanian lifestyle and activity developing over the past four years.  The show will air next Sunday, October 16th at 6:30pm. Although 12-short films back to back - especially the intense and sometimes raw films that make up this particular program - can be difficult to sit through, the majority of attendees, a diverse audience in both gender and age, endured (smoking breaks included).  Viewers were engaged and during the reception of tea and coffee on Makan’s outdoor patio, which capped the event, many wanted to discuss the the meaning and power of the films.  Somaye was of particular interest.  “I didn’t get it,” Anes, a half Jordanian, half Spanish diving instructor from Aqaba admitted.  “It was beautiful, but I didn’t really know what it meant.” “It’s about liberation and freedom,” mused Eva, a young Jordanian health worker who does cancer research. I smiled, pleased with myself that Eva had understood Iranian filmmaker Mostafa Heravi’s message.  “The veiled women in the film endure the elements while standing or running alone on the beach.  They are free.  The last woman wears a shiny red dress which exposes her legs, head and shoulders.  The sun warms her skin, the wind blows in her hair and the sand tickles her toes.  She is present, she is free, she is vibrant.”  I explained. As understanding crossed his gaze, Anes laughed, “oh! All of a sudden I like it a lot more.” Several audience members spoke of the difficulty they had with some of the more graphic pieces like Post Violence by Iranian filmmaker Afrooz Nasersharif, and Grace by Dutch filmmaker Celia Eslamieh Shomal. “I think it’s important that these films be viewed, they made me feel an agony that is necessary in this time of change in the Middle East, but the one with the shaving of the head really made me squirm,” reported Miriam, an elderly lover of the arts who says she tries to attend at least one cultural event per week.  Our take away:  in a land where filmmaking has been all but absent since the 1950s and is only recently experiencing a revival, the people are both hungry and nervous about allowing this compelling medium into their lives, thoughts and beliefs.  Now more than ever it is important to be here; to support budding filmmakers, maturing activists, and free thinkers.        Stay tuned for our live blog coming to you from Jordan on a regular basis! Warmly,  Catinca Tabacaru (WVN Executive Director) 2011-10-11T15:46:05+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/jordan_schedule/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/jordan_schedule/ WVN travels the Festival to 5 Jordanian cities and towns presenting screenings at art spaces, universities and cultural centers Dear Friends, Supporters and Filmmakers, Women’s Voices Now is pleased to announce that this October we will be traveling Women’s Voices from the Muslim World: A Short-Film Festival around Jordan!  Please join us as we present film screenings, panels of speakers including local experts and filmmakers, and even a DJ/VJ party at our following events: AMMAN The Visceral Experience Date & Time: October 9 @ 7pm Location: Makan Art Space Building number 21, Nadim Al-Mallah St. Jabal Al-Weibdeh, Amman The Woman Warrior Date & Time: October 11 @ 11am Location: University of Jordan, Amman 11942 Love, Sex & Other Dangerous Pursuits Date & Time: October 18 @ 8pm Location: Royal Film Commission 1st Circle, Jabal Amman 5 Omar Bin Al Khattab Street (off Rainbow Street) Amman 22110 The Warrior & The Slave Date & Time:  October 19 @ 8pm Location: Royal Film Commission 1st Circle, Jabal Amman 5 Omar Bin Al Khattab Street (off Rainbow Street) Amman 22110 Reception and VJ/DJ Party Date & Time: October 23 @ 7pm Location: Jordan National Gallery Of Fine Art (hosted by Makan Art Space) Jabal Al-Weibdeh, Amman ZARQA Girls In The Muslim World Date & Time: October 12 @ 12 pm Location: Hashemite University, Zarqa *Students here come from mostly underprivileged villages in the north IRBID The Woman Warrior Date & Time: October 13 @ 10am Location: Jordan University of Science & Technology, Irbid 22110 *Private event for grad students in nursing and medicine MADABA The Warrior & The Slave Date & Time:  October 20 @ 8pm Location: Women’s Center, Madaba (hosted by Royal Film Commission) AQABA Screening: Festival Winners Date & Time:  October 21 @ 7pm Location: Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts RSICA Building, Al Rashid Street, Aqaba 2011-10-10T22:17:05+00:00 http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/women_of_the_arab_spring/ http://womensvoicesnow.org/blog/women_of_the_arab_spring/ This presentation shatters traditional stereotypes of women in the Middle East. 2011-09-01T07:28:42+00:00