Arab people are usually subjected to a variety of preconceptions. From the’silly couched female’ that is portrayed as an oppressed sufferer in need of a savior, to the notion that women who wear hijabs are unable to think for themselves or do not have any passion. These preconceptions are dangerous in their portrayal of a culture, but also in the way that they deny the trailblazing work of women part concepts across the region. Whether it is the first female governor of a area in Iraq https://asiansbrides.com/lebanese-brides or the many Muslim female lawmakers, these women are a clear concern to the narrative that has been created that says Egyptian women are impotent and never acquire charge of their own lives.
Studies conducted by George Gerbner, parents of Cultivation Theory, shows that damaging stereotypes are cultivated through repeated press representations. This is particularly true when it comes to the Arab media. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 for example, a large percentage of jokes circulated on social media sites reflected negatively about arab women. The’silly veiled female ‘ image https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/grants/signposting-to-other-support/funding-for-women/ was the most prominent one. Other negative images included women being illiterate, limited in intellectual capability, immoral, materialistic or opportunistic.
Dr Balaa highlights the importance of countering these stereotypes with positive portrayals of Arab women and how these are achieved in literature. She uses the example of Firdaus in Saadawi’s novel The Book of life where she is able to rebel against her rapist and show ‘ a different type of femininity.’ This is important as it illustrates that women can face multiple forms of oppression at the same time that are not solely related to their religion or their ethnicity as Arabs.
