In the February 2008 issue of American Political Science Review, UCLA political science professor Michael L. Ross argues that oil wealth reinforces gender inequality in the Middle East. In his article entitled "Oil, Islam, and Women," Professor Ross holds that resource wealth, not Islamic tradition, is the primary explanation for lagging female empowerment in the region. To support this claim, Ross draws on global data on oil production, female workforce participation, and political representation of women, and compares oil-rich Algeria with oil-poor Morocco and Tunisia.
Ross's study offers a fascinating look at the complex social and economic repercussions of resource wealth in the developing world. His work's minimization of Islam's role in the region's gender inequality offers an interesting perspective on the East-West cultural divide and raises important ethical questions about the world's growing fossil fuel dependency.
Does the industrialized world's reliance on oil promote gender inequality?
If so, what responsibility have consumers and companies to promote female empowerment in source countries?
What interventions would best serve the goal of promoting gender equality in these contexts?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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I found the gender and oil paper really interesting, especially from the perspective of Abu Dhabi. I've seen a couple arguments that gender equality was historically good here, because fishermen and their wives had to work cooperatively to catch and then quickly (because it's hot) sell the fish in the market. It's interesting to think it could be declining because of oil, the exact thing that is sky-rocketing the country to the 21st century.
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