An Introduction: Gendered Rentierism in the Arab World

Gender quotas in the Arab world ‐ 20 years on

“…The women MPs also emphasized in interviews that both men and women would ask them for advice and help with personal problems, seeing women MPs as more trustworthy and helpful. Welborne (2011) encountered similar sentiments when conducting interviews of female politicians in Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen. One female judge she spoke to reported that both lawyers and clients expressed this idea that somehow women were more trustworthy and less likely to be compromised, though the judge tied it to Islamic values and wearing the headscarf as signaling that she was beyond reproach (Welborne, 2011).…”

“…Welborne (2011) encountered similar sentiments when conducting interviews of female politicians in Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen. One female judge she spoke to reported that both lawyers and clients expressed this idea that somehow women were more trustworthy and less likely to be compromised, though the judge tied it to Islamic values and wearing the headscarf as signaling that she was beyond reproach (Welborne, 2011). 12 Thus, even if quotas do not result in observable policy reforms, more women in office can potentially mean increased representation via constituency services.…”