Edmond Melhem

Syrian Women Edmond Melhem

This book highlights the plight of women in countries of the Fertile Crescent and focuses on the process of women's empowerment, which requires a change in the mind-set of the people and seeks to redress gender discrimination; to challenge patriarchy and traditional power relations; and to enable women to develop their skills and abilities in order to have control of their lives. The author argues that women's empowerment can be supported by the growing influence of grassroots and other nongovernmental organizations, which seek to enable women to participate in various spheres of social life through increased involvement in societal institutions. It can be also supported by the spread of political parties and national movements, which attract women and allow them to occupy decision-making positions, to participate in public life, and to contribute to the struggle for participatory democratic forms of social life. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party, founded by Antun Sa'adeh in 1932, provided real opportunity for empowering Syrian women. This work sheds light on the history of the Syrian Social Nationalist movement and its early female recruits.