Islam, Women, and Politics: The Demography of Arab Countries
Author(s): Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer Reviewed work(s): Source:
Population and Development Review, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Mar., 1992), pp.
33-60 Published by: Population Council Stable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1971858 . Accessed: 23/10/2012
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Islam, Women, and Politics: The Demography of Arab
CountriesCARLA MAKHLOUF OBERMEYER
in the Arab regionis commonin the literature. Arab countries
said to are have fertility levels that are higher,and health
statusindicators that are worse,than mightbe expectedon the basis
of socioeconomicindicators. Some researchers have arguedthat"a
unique fertility model existsin the Arab World" (Omran, 1980: 97),
while othershave foundan overrepreachievers" sentation
Arabcountries of amongtheworld's"poorhealth (Caldare to bewell,
1986). Arab demographic patterns thought be exceptional cause
"instead of decliningwith development accordingto the Western a
correlation model,Arabfertility demonstratesweak and sometimes
positive withdevelopment indicators" (Omran,1980: 97).
Thus,the"correspondence between epidemiologic thefertility the and
transition notseemto apply" does (Nagi, 1984: 196). of have been
attributed to These unusual features Arab demography Islam and to
the low statusof women in the region.One of the strongest as
statements about the statusof Arabcountries negative"outliers"comes
takenby from Caldwell'sanalysisoftheexceptional routesto low
mortality in countries have achievedsubstantial that
thoselow-income improvements health.His analysiscontrasts
healthachievers"with"poor health "superior ratesare higherthan
would have been achievers"whose infant mortality predicted
thebasisofpercapitaincome.Ofthe11 "poorhealthachievers," on
sevenare Arabcountries, nineare whollyor largely Muslim.In "trying
and to decidewhat determines a country that shallbecomea superior a
poor or health achiever," Caldwell finds that "the firstcontrastto
strikethereader . . . is the religion of the two groups" (1986:
175). Contrasting
THE IDEA THATTHERE IS SOMETHINGPECULIARabout the demographic
situation
Islam with Buddhismand Hinduism, arguesthatthe poor
healthperhe
POPULATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW
18, NO.
1 (MARCH
1992)
33
34
ISLAM,
WOMEN,
AND POLITICS
is formance Islamiccountries the resultof the influence their of
of religion on the societalvalues relatedto women and children. To
evaluate the extentto which these analysesof the demographic and
useful, article this evidenceare accurate examines three the
propositions thatunderlietheseinterpretations: Arab countries
poorlyin terms that do of demographic indicators, thisis due to
Islam,and thatthe impactof that Islamoperates through way in
whichitdefines low status women. the a for First, reviewthe
available data on fertility healthin Arab countries. I and Second,
I critically examine the claim thatIslam is a pronatalist religion.
Third, summarize evidenceon the statusofwomen in theArabworld I the
and consider whether one can ascribeto it specific demographic
outcomes. I argue thatthe "fateful triangle" model thatsees a
pernicious association between Islam,women,and demographic is
outcomes inappropriate because itoverlooks crucial factors
variability ignores ambiguities of and the inherent in thenormative
structure a society. proposethata better of I understanding of
demographic change mustinclude attention the politicalcontextof to
and and I sketch dimensions thatcontext the in of fertility
healthbehavior, the region.
The demographyof Arab countriesArab countries discussedhere are
those in which Arabicis the official as language.'Thiscriterion
chosenbecauseitconstitutes reasonable was a basis for a culture
area. Thesecountries delineating relatively homogeneous cover
thegeographic area ofNorth Africa and WestAsia (see Figure1).2
Predominantly Muslim,3 theyaccountforabout one-quarter
theworld'sMuslim of population. The totalpopulationof Arab
countries estimated 220 millionin is at 1991. The mostpopulous
country Egypt, is whichhas 52.4 millioninhabitants; thereare
threecountries about 25 millioneach (Sudan, Morocco, of and
Algeria)and fourcountries 10-20 million:Iraq (18.9), Saudi Arabia
of 1 ( 14.1), Syria( 12.5), and Yemen(now united, 1.7);
theremainder under are 10 million, withsixcountries 2 million
less.As a group, thesecountries of or have veryhighratesof
populationgrowth, averaging just under3 percent and of withabout40
percent inhabitants annually,4 very youngpopulations, underage 15
years. the Table 1 presents latestavailabledata on incomeper head,
urbanand ization,education,totalfertility rates,infant mortality,
lifeexpectancy is the in Arab countries. in The diversity levels of
development striking: have verydifferent bases-rich oil producers,
economiesof thesecountries there great are and middle-income
countries, extremely countries5-and poor Levelsofurbanin and
disparities GNP per capita,urbanization, education. in izationare
about 75 percent countries theArabianpeninsula(withthe of
exceptionof Oman), as well as in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,and Libya;
they
CARLA
MAKHLOUF
OBERMEYER
35
FIGURE 1 The Arab countries
NISIA
LEBANON
YI
MOROCCALGERIA
IRAQ JORDAN KUWAITBAHRAIN
Western"Sahara
LIBYA
EGYPT
QATAR
SAUDI ARABIA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
MAURITANIA SUDAN YM
OMAN
SMALIA
are around 50 percent Algeria, in Morocco,Syria,and Mauritania,
Egypt, in Tunisia; and between22 and 40 percent Somalia, Sudan, and
Yemen. enrollment have primary Statistics educationshow
thatmostcountries on Morocco,Saudi Arabia,Somalia, ratios closeto
100,butseveral(Mauritania, is and Sudan) stilllag behind.
Secondaryschool enrollment much lower. school in are On
averageaboutone-half theage groups enrolled secondary of
(WorldBank, 1991, 199la). are levelsof fertility high,and in over
halftotal In all thesecountries ratesare above 6 childrenper woman.
Analysesfromthe World fertility in out in the 1970s (summarized
Farid,1987) docFertility Surveycarried childbearing beginsearly is
umentthatmarriage earlyand quasi-universal, use the years,and
contraceptive is and continues throughout reproductive rates
thattotalfertility fortheperiod1985data indicate low.6More recent
90 average5.6 children woman,comparedto an averageof 3.9 forless
per as developedcountries a whole (UnitedNations,1990, 1991).
Lifeexpectancy averages64 years are Levelsofmortality morediverse.
or more in Bahrain,Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,Lebanon, Oman, Qatar,
Syria, but and theEmirates, 59 yearsorlessin thepoorand
predominantly Tunisia, for rural countries Somalia,Sudan,and
Yemen.The rangeis similar infant of in mortality rates,whichare
near or below 50 per thousandlive births the and Tunisiabutexceed
100 in MauGulf Lebanon,Syria, Jordan, countries, ritania, Somalia,
Sudan, and Yemen. indicaand betweendemographic socioeconomic
Simplecorrelations between tors (see Figures2 and 3) show a
moderatenegativecorrelation
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