1. UKM Learning and Research Repository
2. PHD Thesis / Tesis PHD
3. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan

Title:	The participation and empowerment of women officials in the public sphere: case study of the Ministry of Education, Iran
Authors:	Sanaz Ebrahimnejad (P48511)
Supervisor:	Junaenah Sulehan, Prof. Madya Dr.
Keywords:	Women officials Public sphere Participation Empowerment Dissertations, Academic -- Malaysia
Issue Date:	26-Feb-2015
Description:	Increased women's participation and empowerment is a milestone of the modernity agenda but is not without obstacles in implementation. Several studies have identified social, cultural, economic, political, legislative, demographic, religious, institutional and attitudinal factors as necessary determinants of women's participation and empowerment in the public arena. In Iran, many have argued that women's exclusion has been the result of religious based regulations as well as social-cultural factors, patriarchal values and gender attitudes. However, despite these obstacles and difficulties, changes have occurred during decades. Factors responsible in easing social transition and individual's condition and position in society are as complex as those against it. The question is how societies, and the individuals within negotiate this transition. This study analyses this transition in Iran through in-depth using semi-structured interviews of nine female and male key informants at the Ministry of Education. The objective is to identify the pattern of women's participation, analyse women's justification for their participation, and synthesize the reasons of women non-empowerment despite their participation. The Ministry of Education is one of the biggest and most important ministries in Iran. The findings of the study illustrate how gender attitude impact upon both women's and men's perception of women's participation in the public sector. The barriers of participation exist not only exist in policies and religious conditions, but also in the local culture and attitudes. To the key informants, while the level of women's participation has changed during years due to social and cultural transformations, gender based attitudes and cultural discrimination can still be seen in the organization. The female informants in this study believe that to include women in different areas of society, proper interpretations of religious perspectives and the Islamic ideology are needed. The results also show that while women's efforts towards transformation-helped women's participation and presence in different fields of society; this participation does not lead to equity, elimination of discrimination, and women's empowerment. The female key respondents of this study also believe in gender segregation and gender roles. According to the empowerment principles, individuals can be empowered by getting and acquiring knowledge about the conditions that oppress them. The findings indicate that women's participation in the Ministry of Education in Iran is more quantitative than qualitative, and this condition is not likely to change without a different understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the public spheres.,Ph.D.
Pages:	232
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan

Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.