This article compares conceptions of
female citizenship and family law reform
in North Africa and the Middle East, with
a focus on Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and
Lebanon. The study looks at parliamentary
and judicial reform priorities from 1990
to 2010, particularly in terms of the
influence of clerical judges. The author
argues that reducing clerical judicial
authority in Morocco and Egypt has led to
more progressive approaches to gender
equality. In contrast, the retention of
clerical judicial autonomy in Syria and
Lebanon has led to more inequitable