Lecture Series
Visiting Susan Currier Professor at Cal Poly Dr. Ghada Talhami speaks on "Why Middle East Women Matter”, November 19th, 5p.m., University Union, Building 65, Rm 220
Middle East women have been the subject of Western curiosity for a long time, without necessarily comprehending the dilemmas and challenges with which they are faced. This is due mostly to the dominance of Western feminist discourse, and the application of universal gender norms to their case. A quick examination of the peculiarities of the Arab and Islamic feminist struggles reveals that these were always part of the national project and the anti-colonial struggle of their own male populations. Today's Middle Eastern feminist activists find themselves caught between the Islamist authenticity critique, their own oppressive regimes, and Western pressures to conform to the patriarchal paradigm, irrespective of the primacy of their own national agenda. This talk will cite examples from the experiences of Egyptian, Palestinian, Persian Gulf and Iranian women. Ghada Talhami was born in Jordan to Palestinian parents. Her interest in women's issues was a natural outgrowth of her long years of focusing on Middle East history and politics and on Islam as a social phenomenon of great relevance to the gender issue. She is also interested in development studies, Palestinian human rights, the question of Jerusalem and many other facets of Middle East politics. She is the author of six books, four of which are on Egypt and one dealing with the Islamic mobilization of Egyptian women. She is currently writing a historical dictionary on Middle Eastern Women and she lectures widely on this topic.
Sponsored by The Cal Poly Women’s & Gender Studies Department and the College of Liberal Arts. For more information, please contact the Women’s & Gender Studies Office at (805) 756-1525, email wgs@calpoly.edu, or stop by bldg 47-25H.
Please consult this page throughout the academic year for more information about the WGS Faculty Lecture Series.
