all Muslim women can not socialise with men who aren't a family member. Just as men can't also. It works both ways
Except ... they very often do. Through work or other social events here in the Gulf. It seems only women have to follow these rules. I know a lot of local men and while not terribly deep relationships, I do speak and work together with them on projects. My DH cannot say the same about local women.
I addressed only the posts of women who came here and declared they were doing it because they WANT to and are confronted to people like you
They are not confronted by people like me. It is the norm here, more often assumptions are made about me and my sexuality, actually (i.e. I am easy because I am not a Muslim nor do I cover my hair).
Why can't a woman have equal access to opportunities without the need of men?
I live in a literal patriarchy. Women don’t have equal access to opportunities and you know it.
Facilities for women are inevitably worse than the provisions for men. Why do I always have to walk in the side entrances of government buildings, while men can walk in the big front entrances? Why are there always fewer staff for the women’s area? Why are there are only one or two ‘women’s’ days as compared to men? If they treated minorities like this, it would be apartheid, but because it happens to women, it’s okay. It’s just their culture 🙄
It is sexism. Full stop.
The thing IS feminism is about letting women have CHOICES
Choices don’t exist in a vacuum.
Plenty of women love aspects of their culture that cannot be understood through Western lenses, and would absolutely recoiled at the idea of living a similar life to UK/US or European women
That’s fine, but equally, you should realize how incredibly sexist these practices are to Westerners, and refrain from doing them in Western countries?
I dress modestly and use the women’s ‘separate-and-totally-unequal’ facilities here because I chose to come here, knowing what it was like.
So, if you go to the West, please make the same and do not hide your face, as that would cause discomfort to the locals.
The goal is for Women to have EQUAL rights within their country not to ''Westernize'' worldwide women and force them to live according to Western (or your own personal) standards, which is what you seem to aim for
If you’ve read anything I wrote, you’d know that while I personally think it’s sexist, I am not trying to get them to change their own countries. The women here have to do it. And are doing it, FWIW.
But women do not have equal rights in the Gulf, and it’s absolutely ridiculous of you to claim that. Did you know that in order to work, I needed my husband’s permission? Yet, he wouldn’t need mine. Does that sound equal to you? In legal cases, a woman’s testimony is still somehow worth less. If you are raped here, you can be jailed. Where is the equality?
Why are you saying that the British/Western way is the better way?
All I am asking is that the same due consideration be given to our culture and way of life. We consider the niqab a public erasure of women. It relegates women to the domestic sphere, to the home. It is incompatible with modern feminist principles.
Hear their grievance
What is their grievance? Okay, many women do not want to participate in the public sphere, fine. But many do and cannot because of social norms. Does that seem right to you? Or is it okay because that’s the culture?
This is not my fight, and women in the Gulf have made great strides in equalizing their society. But there are still large gender gaps here, as I outlined earlier.
Do your part in making sure they obtain what they need, not what YOU (as a western person) think they need
Please, this is a very wealthy society and they need nothing from me. But my thoughts are my own.