“I Want to be a Leader, But Men Are Better Than Women in Leadership Positions”: State Feminism and Legitimizing Myths in the United Arab Emirates
This research paper investigates female perceptions of female leadership in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where, particularly recently, state feminism has supported women’s occupation of leadership positions. It thus explores how state feminism’s portrayal of the ideal woman in leadership has impa...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
[2020]
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| In: |
Hawwa
Year: 2020, Volume: 18, Issue: 1, Pages: 31-50 |
| IxTheo Classification: | KBL Near East and North Africa ZB Sociology ZC Politics in general ZD Psychology |
| Further subjects: | B
Arab Gulf
B Emirati women B UAE B state feminism B female leadership |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This research paper investigates female perceptions of female leadership in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where, particularly recently, state feminism has supported women’s occupation of leadership positions. It thus explores how state feminism’s portrayal of the ideal woman in leadership has impacted Emirati women’s perceptions of female leaders. A survey comprising 350 female Emirati students was undertaken, and results were supported by interviews. Findings suggest that although 93 percent of respondents “wanted to” or “probably wanted to” be leaders, they nevertheless endorsed “sexist” stereotypes and legitimizing myths. These contradictions are due, most likely, to ambivalent messages disseminated by the state and by society at large about female leaders. This research postulates that, while women have gained more agency in the public sphere through occupying leadership positions, their own perceptions and portrayals of acceptable gender roles are complex and ambivalent. |
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| ISSN: | 1569-2086 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Hawwa
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15692086-12341369 |