Women in Civil Society: Prospects for the UAE

Abstract

In the goal of contributing to a better theoretical understanding of civil society and the role of women, this book has explored the role of UAE women in civil society. To determine and analyze civil society growth, it has focused on three key forms of association: state-run women’s organizations, Islamic-oriented organizations, and women’s networks. Studying these different forms of women’s organizing has enabled a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of women’s participation and the way in which subjectivities are fashioned. This project has produced some important observations, namely (1) GONGO women’s organizations play a central role in governmentality; (2) Islamic-oriented women’s organizations contribute to civil society formation despite their ideological motivations and some problematic formulations of justice; and (3) women’s networks can be the most vital elements for civil society development. On a theoretical level, such findings make the argument more pertinent that the civil society concept, among related theories, be reexamined in contexts other than that in which it has been historically fashioned.