Grounded Approach to Women’s Empowerment: Understanding the Complexities

Abstract

AbstractThe Middle East has undergone profound social, political, and economic changes over time, leading to reconfiguration of the positions and status of Arab men and women in relation to the state and the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic, the Arab Spring, and the 2008 financial crisis have all had significant impacts, particularly on Arab women, who have become the focus of policies aimed at “empowering” them. Before exploring the relationship between women’s empowerment and public policy, it is crucial to understand the concept of empowerment within its context, through the perspectives and narratives of women themselves. This chapter examines the concept of women’s empowerment in the context of Arab Gulf states, with a specific focus on Qatar, by exploring the meaning and perceptions of working and non-working women and the role of religious beliefs, moral values, and family. A holistic and dialectical approach is used to understand the complex and multidimensional nature of women’s empowerment and to highlight the intersectionality between gender, religion, and identity in the region. A deductive and inductive logic is adopted, drawing on both theoretical literature and practical interviews to offer a conceptual and empirical contribution to the field of women’s empowerment.