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Female lawyers and patriarchal state laws in Morocco, Lebanon and Kuwait after 2011
Abstract
Female lawyers in Morocco, Lebanon and Kuwait address similar issues related to patriarchal state laws where the principle of male guardianship impacts the civil rights of female citizens within family law, criminal law, and – in Kuwait and Lebanon – nationality law. However, opinions on political reform among female lawyers in these three states differ. Differences relate to institutional settings, state-specific challenges which some of the lawyers express, and individual views towards what represents an issue of a legalistic, a religious, or a mundane – and therefore – political nature. Excerpts from interviews conducted in 2015 with female lawyers in Morocco, Lebanon and Kuwait provide a backdrop for pointing out variances in how patriarchal state laws are perceived, expressed, and sought reformed in a Maghribi, a Mashriqi, and a Khaliji state after the 2011 Uprisings. One finding is that there is a marked revitalization among female lawyers in Kuwait and Lebanon regarding pressures to change patriarchal state laws, while female lawyers in Morocco face challenges related to implementing and substantiating strengthened female civil rights following the Mudawwana reform in 2004.
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
Arab States
Sub Area
Comparative