Female Citizenship in the Middle East: Comparing Family Law Reforms in Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon

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 outcomes for women. In particular, the author suggests that in the latter two countries, the power of clerical judges has prevented family law reforms that would benefit women such as marital, divorce, and custody rights. Moreover, they have also and hindered developments in womens civil rights, by upholding barriers to political participation and organization.