Towards a typology of "decision-making experience" of women in the Arab world...

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Towards a typology of "decision-making
experience" of women in the Arab world...
Soukeina Bouraoui, DirectorCenter for Arab Women
Training and Research
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• This work aims to construct a typology of
  decision-making women in the Arab world based on
  a qualitative survey conducted in six countries,
  includes three fundamental aspects1 - Defining
  the process of decision making as a "social
  experience"2 - The definition of typology
  analysis in the context of action research3 -
  The presentation of four configurations of
  decision-making experience in the Arab world.

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• But let's start with the presentation of the
  interest granted by the CAWTAR to the question of
  women's participation in decision-making in the
  Arab world

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1- Arab women and decision making as one of the
strategic issues focused on by CAWTAR

• Recognizing the crucial role played by Arab women
  in the process of sustainable development, CAWTAR
  has implemented an integrated project on women
  and decision making in the Arab world. This
  initiative is based on bias epistemological and
  heuristic, but also pragmatic and operational
  approach consisting of women through action.Such
  a multidimensional project comprises four
  components independent but complementary

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A participatory approach, to involve different
key actors from design to the implementation of
the full-fledged programme.
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The AWDR

• It is a qualitative research, covering 6 Arab
  countries  KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan
  and Tunisia.
• based on in-depth interviews and life stories 103
  person (83 women, 20 men)
• It helped to shed light on 3 essential elements
  relating to the participation of women in
  decision making
• the definition of decision making by the
  respondents,
• the contexts in which decisions are made,
• barriers and factors conducive to the
  participation of women in decision-making.

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2 - Participation in decision making as a "social
experiment/experience"

• The process of decision making here is defined as
  "crystallization, more or less stable, among
  individuals and groups of different/ opposite
  logics of action, in which the actors are
  required to combine and prioritize in order to be
  noticed as subjects" .
• We will attempt to outline an engendered
  "decision-making experience" in the Arab world,
  as the result of the articulation of 3 logics of
  action
• assimilation and integration,
• strategy and tactics
• individuation and subjectification.

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- The logic of assimilation and integration 

• participation in decision making is an individual
  experience rooted in a social structure.
• The importance, the degree and extent of a
  decision depend on space (public / private),
  institutional structures and networks (family,
  economic, political, administrative, etc..).
• The decision also depends on the nature of its
  subject
• E.g Decision making within the family, is
  different from a decision in a board of directors
  of an industrial firm the individual
  internalizes the norms and values of each sphere
  of activity Very often, the decision process is
  implemented within a complex institutional world
  where many social structures intersect and
  overlap.

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- The logic of tactic and strategy

• Decision refers to experiences in social
  relationships, based on a complex system of
  alliances, rivalries, tensions and negotiations,
  etc.. where others are perceived as rivals,
  allies or potential resources.
• e.g When decision is taken at family level, a
  woman is obliged to ally with her son to
  manipulate or negotiate with her husband to
  influence the decision.
• the logic of the tactic is one that directs
  actions taken by actors (men and women) who are
  excluded from the decisions (devoid of
  competence, ability, legitimacy). These actors
  try to circumvent the system in order to
  influence decisions and steer the course of
  events according to their aspirations.

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- The logic of individuation and
subjectification

• Individuation is a process through which the
  individual asserts itself as an active player
  involved in the manufacture of the decision. As
  for the logic of subjectification, it is to claim
  a new identity.
• Several life events refer to this sense of
  individuation and subjectification. Participation
  in decision making could be the result of a
  bifurcation or ruptures biographical decisive
  marriage, widowhood, educational achievement,
  career advancement and mobility, etc.. considered
  a "social renaissance"

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- Building Typologies of Decision Making

• Typologies are not defined as groups or
  juxtaposed with rigid boundaries, nor are they
  hierarchical
•  it is a process of understanding the social
  reality, namely to "read" and interpret the
  empirical data from an abstract model built by
  the research team with reference to
  epistemological, conceptual and methodological
  tools.
• Regarding CAWTARs work on women's participation
  in decision-making in the Arab world, it adopt a
  cluster analysis that is not to classify
  individuals or groups, but rather tries to
  identify the specific logic of abstract relations
  to ensure a better understanding of practices and
  situations and give a new intelligibility to
  social relations.

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1 - under-custody Decision

• This type of DM refers to situations where men
  resign to women or delegate to them certain
  decisions concerning family matters, while
  demanding a say on what they deem as essential.
  In this type, the woman is considered a second
  rate actor.
• A case is quoted from Saudi Arabia where women
  are not allowed, for example, to deal in
  commercial business, unless accompanied by a
  guardian. Thus, Lina (33, female entrepreneur)
  said "Im supported by my cousins and they are
  dealing with all the necessary procedures to
  manage my personal affairs, it is imposed by law
  and custom."

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- under-control Decision (2)

• On another level, the case of Malika (34,
  engineer, Morocco) shows that even if the
  decision taken by a woman is compelling, it is
  respected if it is endorsed by the Director.
• Where as Fatma (34, housewife, Morocco), stated
  that her husband decides the amount needed to
  support the family while she deals with the
  spendings.
• Similarly, Khlifa (36 years, official Morocco)
  explained how his mother made all decisions
  concerning daily management of the family affairs
  after the death of her husband. However, critical
  decisions have to be consulted with her brother
  and brother in law. "

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smart/clever decision-making

• It is based on the logic of tactics since they
  are outside the scope of decision making, women
  resort to means adapted to various situations to
  influence the process of decision making.
• Souad (40, female entrepreneur, married to a man
  aged 75) said "I become clever, when necessary
  ... I become kind and tender with my husband to
  change his attitude. "
• As for Amina (36 years, Head of an association,
  Morocco), speaks of tricks her mother used to
  confront the authority of her husband "My father
  was a polygamist and very authoritarian . My
  mother used several means to waive certain
  decisions he wanted to impose. To do this, she
  asked the help of family members, and even her
  children. "

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- Conditioned DM

• In this configuration, the participation of women
  in decision making is conditioned by the
  existence of a number of criteria considered as
  fundamental and indispensable for participation
  in the exercise of decision making.
• According to Zaki (52, Lawyer, Egypt), women can
  take part in the decision provided that they are
  responsible.
• Other conditions for the involvement of women
  were made by Ali (41 years, university, Egypt)
  who believed that women could occupy the post of
  Dean only if her decisions are well studied,
• Mustapha (57 years, businessman, Lebanon)
  believes that women could occupy decision making
  positions, provided they consult decisions with
  others.

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- The underground decision experience

• The process of DM is not always visible. Very
  often, the real actors and influential in this
  process are not necessarily those who are
  formally endowed with power. As such, Neyla (43,
  service manager in a department, Tunisia) is
  responsible for developing plans and strategies
  targeting rural women. But in the end, her work
  is approved by different supervisors who take
  ownership for it.

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- The active decision

• It refers to active and effective influence in
  the process of decision making in which a social
  actor is developing a set of knowledge, know-how
  and means to participate fully in the exercise of
  power and decision-making roles to play influence
  in different areas of activity.
• Several women from different Arab countries and
  acting within several sectors illustrated this
  decision scheme.
• Raja (60, female entrepreneur, Tunisia), Houria
  (62 years, member of an association, Morocco),
  Balsam (52 years, association president and dean
  , Sudan) and Mahassen (45, female entrepreneur
  and former MP, Sudan), etc.. who have
  decision-making power range, powerful and
  influential.

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Conclusion

• it is important to note that cluster analysis is
  an approach that was adopted in this work with
  the objective of making account the complexity of
  empirical reality in the various countries
  covered by CAWTARs investigation.
• the different types identified does not
  necessarily correspond to social reality in its
  purest form, as it is lived and experienced by
  social actors.
• In other words, the different characteristics of
  each type may be observed within the same social
  group, even within the same society.