Fast Tracking Women into Parliamentary Seats in the Arab World

This article critically assesses efforts to increase women's representation in parliament in the Arab world. The author begins by exploring the cultural context for the marginalization of women in the Arab world and then examines the strategy of increasing female political representation through parliamentary quotas and comprehensive affirmative action programs. The author argues that Arab states should implement parliamentary quotas (using a fast track model) to overcome political segregation, and engage womens intellectual capital in the political sphere. In doing so, the author argues that these countries would be able to stimulate economic development and overcome democratic deficits. The article also discusses the intersection of globalization, socioeconomic development, and patriarchal cultural norms and cites them as conditions that exacerbate gender inequality in political representation.