Spinsters World & Women Rights in Arab Land
It’s women again!
A report published by Khaleej Times said that a survey conducted by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Planning reveals a shocking number of “spinsters” across Saudi Arabia. To be precise, the exact number of the unmarried females has been recorded at 1,529,418. Now from the last census I could find, Saudi population has reached 22.67 million, including 6.14 million foreigners, which means that Saudis only are about 16.53 million, which also means that the 1.5 million spinsters form 9.25% of Saudi population, and knowing that the women count is around 8.25 million, this means that spinsters are18.5% of the Saudi woman. That is big, I guess.
The report also said that women are slowly overpowering men in population count and this is sure to create a problem in the future.
Abdul Aziz Al Nahari in the Arabic daily Okaz wrote an interesting note:
All wives in the kingdom - except my wife - should allow their husbands to marry a second, third or fourth wife if they are financially capable of doing so. They should be allowed (except for me) to have at least a second wife,” he said. “If these women allow their husbands to have a second wife, it would do a lot to solve the problem. Having a second wife is not cheating. I know I will face a severe feminist attack, but what can I say? Right or wrong, this is my opinion - if not my wife’s,” he added.
I think he just found an excuse 
On the same subject, Maha Al Hujailan wrote in another Arabic daily Al Watan. She said:
The word ’spinster’ is considered an offensive term by many Saudi girls. It implies that young girls have a date beyond which they have expired. This expiry date is related to the young girl’s physical characteristics, which must be made use of in order to get her married. The word is also used to exert pressure on girls to marry; in theory, girls do not want to be called spinsters.
This is true. The Arab societies in general use the word in order to describe unmarried females negatively, and this is unfair. The tag kills the female future, as if she has caused the problem and as if she is really a bad girl. However, the problem in Saudi Arabia does not stop there. The rate of divorce, too, is increasing, contributing to the growing number of single women.
A report by the Saudi government said that the rate of divorce increased by 20 per cent in 2003 ALONE. A study conducted by Saudi academics has shown that in some Saudi cities, nearly 60 women get divorced every day.
Now, the most interesting part of the study is when knowing the reasons for this high rate of divorce. The study cites many causes, such as the lack of understanding among couples of their rights and family obligations; wives taking up jobs; the level of education of the married couple; lack of mutual respect between the couple; husbands taking a second wife or ogling women on the street, and husbands taking away the salary of their wives if they are employed.
To add more spices, another study conducted by vice-manager of educational affairs at the Saudi ministry of education, concluded that CHAT ROOMS and FORBIDDEN SITES on the Internet were the main cause for the increase in the rate of divorce in the kingdom (no wonder Google trend shows Saudi in the top list of search for sex).
Yet another report by the ministry of planning and national economy claimed that 65 per cent of marriages arranged by matchmakers failed, which is another problem, as we all know that it is nearly impossible for males females to even see each other in Saudi, so no wonder the percentage is high in this case.
Last but not least, it is worth to note that all of the above applies to most of the Arab societies, however in different ratios, but the main reasons are more or less the same; that is ‘women rights.’
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30 Comments on “Spinsters World & Women Rights in Arab Land”
How did you know I needed a good laugh (your “excuse) today when my day will be spent at the dentist with my daughter getting her wisdom teeth out?
) But, and this is a very big BUT, it is still in the hands of the male to TOTALLY control the situation. Lucky them!
Speaking of pulling teeth, it is easier to pull teeth with pliers sans anesthesia than to try to change any of the laws of Saudi Arabia which keep women “in their place”. You talk about taking Shariia to it’s outer limits and then some, try living as a woman in SKA. Don’t get me wrong, it is “doable” but SOMEHOW you are either going to follow the archaic laws of this country to the tee OR spend a whole lot of time on vacation and only nod to the laws while in the Kingdom.
First off, we all know that it is next to IMPOSSIBLE for a woman to obtain a divorce in Saudi Arabia. So all of the reasons given, women taking up jobs, becoming more educated and their husbands ogling women (gee, must be the one’s traveling abroad doing this because there certainly isn’t much to see under an habaya and full veil) are STILL within the control of the men of this society. As for a lack of understanding between the sexes, how the heck are you supposed to understand eachother if the majority of your time is spent with people of your own sex and NOT with eachother? The women’s parties, the men’s parties, the women’s receiving rooms within their own homes and the male counterparts, THIS is where the majority of the time is spent by Saudis. There is socializing going on ALL the time and it is with others, not your wife or husband. THAT is why marriages in SKA are different to their very core than a “Western” style marriage. The irony is that Saudis try to blame “western values” for creeping into their society for all their ills. Women are simply demanding more in their relationships and not putting up with their husbands total ignoring of them (I guess this is a “western” value
So now we have a bunch of “spinsters” who REALLY should be spending their child-bearing years producing more citizens AND pleasing some man, ANY man. This is so laughable I can hardly contain myself. But here’s the catch, Al-Nahari suggests that all the women of SKA should allow their husbands to take more than one wife, BUT this doesn’t apply to him because his wife would never accept him doing this. Really we all know, second marriages are rather frowned on by the educated of the Kingdom. So, you tell me, WHERE are we going to get all these women who accept for their husbands to have more than one wife? Your guess is a good as mine but I venture to say it is ENTIRELY from the lower-educated in this society. So once again, the fault is in EDUCATING women. Duh!!!! Didn’t we all know that?!!!
Al-Nahari just came off as a bloody hypocrite. Spinster? Hah. I’d rather embrace spinsterhood than be part of a state-sanctioned harem, or have a husband who’s threatened by my education. If more Saudi women stood up and said, “we’re not going to take this crap,” maybe people will start listening.
Is a woman in SA allowed to have more than one husband? If not, why not?
Don Cox,
Is the woman allowed to have more than one husband anywhere? If yes
(and I believe that would be an exception), where and why?
Haitham,
I think there were Pacific Islander cultures that practiced polyandry, due to the woman’s proclivity for mulitple orgasms. There are more concrete examples out there, but this is something off the top of my head, as discussed in class this semester.
Natalia,
I am LOLOLOL. I LIKE that idea!!!! (woops, don’t mean to appear so “womanly”) Also, the word polyandry I can honestly say I have never heard this word before, but it sounds so similar to poly-”laundry” that I just can’t help thinking it’s a good idea to have more men around to help with the household chores!!!
You are hysterical!!! without even trying to be. Thanks for the laugh!
I think the word ?spinster? is degrading and should not be ever used to describe an unmarried woman. If a single woman is a spinster, then what should we call a single man?
Aya,
I can think of many words but they shouldn’t be shown here.
Spinster is a very positive word. It comes from Middle English, and means a woman who spins thread for cloth, in other words, a woman working and producing a needed product, who is taking care of herself. You can easily turn this term around and embrace it, and be proud!
Here in the “West” (USA) we also have our mixed views of “spinsterhood”. Of course the options of spinsters here are not the same, but generally speaking, it is also seen as a woman who is past her prime and for one reason or another has not done what every woman is “supposed to do”, get married, settle down and have kids. For some this lifestyle has been a personal choice and for others, well, marriage to the right man just never came knocking. Bachelorhood on the other hand is a whole other topic. These men are the objects of desire, the “right” woman will often appoint herself as the one to “capture” the bachelor and turn him into a married man. The bachelor past the normal age of marriage is the ultimate “bad boy” and object of desire by many, whereas the “spinster” is a “hasbeen”, passed over by all the eligible bachelors earlier on and tossed aside as undesirable for one reason or another. The fact that some women CHOOSE not to marry is an afront to what is supposed to be the norm. Many women who are married themselves look on spinsters as poor miserable unwanted women who are so much less lucky than themselves who WERE chosen. As I said, the situations are not the same but they are parallel to eachother in that both SKA and the US have negative views of spinsters for the most part. I personally have known a few here and believe me, you cannot lump them all into one miserable bag. Here is a funny blog I came across just for spinsters here in the US http://www.spinsterspin.com/node/1
There is an old folk song titled “Old Spinning Wheel”
Covered with dust and forgotten,
Like the face upon the wall.
The one souvenir of the days gone by,
I treasure most of all:
(refrain)
There’s an old spinning wheel in the parlor,
Spinning dreams of the long, long ago.
Spinning dreams of an old fashioned garden,
And a maid with her old fashioned beau,
Sometimes it seems that I can hear her in the twilight
At the organ softly singing “Old Black Joe.”
There’s an old spinning wheel in the parlor,
Spinning dreams of the long, long a go.
(verse)
Turn back the years of my childhood
As you turn, old spinning wheel.
Just show me a lane with a barefoot boy,
As shadows softly steal:
It is a sad song per se, and even in this song, the “spinster” has left the spinning wheel idle to collect dust. Where is the spinster now? Well, married with husband and kids of course!!!
I have met many spinsters in my business and I have found them more intelligent and understanding than most women, (sorry, Robin not you).
They have spent their lives working and learning.
My older brother is the same way. 59 and still single. Knowledge is more important than being married. It destroys their ability to take the time to read, to learn and to understand.
Being independent is a good thing even if it means that you don’t marry.
We have too many people on this world anyways.
Whatever your choice (as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone) is OK with me.
Robin, I am sorry but I printed that wrong. My mistake.
How did they define spinster in the study? I mean what was the cut off age? 22? 32? 42? Post menopausal women? The first paragraph in the repoet is mind boggling. “Unmarried females of a marriagable age?” If they are of a marriageable age, how could they be “spinsters”? Maybe they’ll get married in a year or two? Did they count the lesbians? Can you be a lesbian and a spinster at the same time?
Amal A,
Good point.
Basically it comes down to one point.
I am right, you are wrong.
Sad way to view other peoples affairs.
I only judge people by their personality, not their views.
Can we work on this?
Here you are it again…Interesting articles
THE ARAB RACE WILL DIE, FIRST BECAUSE OF PALESTINE AND IRAQ AND BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE WITH “SPINSTERS”
i like saudi arabi ,because it is v-good .
saudi is really a weird country,kingdome whatever u wana call it—i mean if most saudi women really lament about their sorry situation, then y not rise up and demand their god-given rites??? most saudi females r turning into lesbians by compulsion just as most saudi males r turning into faggots due 2 no freedome 2 interact with females—dont da dumb rulers understand that??? when an individual is not allowed 2 exhibit or utilize his/her sexuality, then ultimately, severe psychological problems r bound 2 arise—i truely think that most saudi men r scared of their female populationz potential and talents and thus they dont wana empower them—when will saudi females as well as young males realize that they r living a sick way of life—most males shag anything from a hole in da wall 2 a camel—its just a shame.