نشریه بانوان شیعه
پیاپی 9 (پاییز 1385)

Feminism is known as a school (movement) which claims to be struggling against female inferiority in relation to men, in the private arena, and the lower status of women in the public arena, (working environment, society, culture and social norms). The third world and particularly the Islamic countries’ joining the process of development, and consequently the increase of women’s presence in the public arena, with the aim of closing the gap between them and men as far as their social and legal rights are concerned has given grounds for bringing up feminism and feministic struggles.According to the feminists’ claim, the trend of development in middle eastern countries, due to the adoption of the model prescribed by the capitalist world, has unwillingly taken up the patriarchal relations current in western countries, and as a result the male members of society have taken control over wealth and other economic resources, and by drawing up the rights and social regulations and the distribution of political positions, men have further given themselves priority over women, who are given secondary importance.Although in middle-Eastern societies in lieu of a certain short sightedness and simplistic interpretations of Islamic principles, women have not been given their rightful position and status, the Muslim women’s attempt in such countries, at the improvement of their status and playing an active role in compliance to that which is expected of them in accordance to the laws of religion, should not give rise to any misunderstandings that the ground for activity and spread of feministic ideas, with the excuse of defending women’s equal rights vis-à-vis men in these types of societies is readily available. Since in various dimensions, namely in the realm of thought (Neosalafiyyah and Ijtihadiyyah schools), in the political dimension (the increasing participation and presence of women in the public arena) and specially in the economic dimension, (the spread of the measure of women’s employment in the fields of production and execution) calls to challenge the tainted inferiority of women in relation to men in middle-Eastern Islamic societies.

Feministic movements, despite abounding origins, and the plurality of theories, join at a point, where arguments concerning the issue of women and problems relating to it cross paths.Protective economic policies defending women and their employment and cultural-economic policies in connection to consumption and production have provided the effective tools which have caused the development of feministic movements. The foundations of modernity, namely humanism and secularism, have had the most effect in favor of feminism. The principle of equality is one of the most important manifestations of humanism. In feministic arguments, there is special emphasis on different kinds of equality, such as (equality of appearance), moral, proportional and distributive.In this article, while putting forth the feministic principle of equality and stating its different kinds, obstacles and difficulties concerning inequality of employment opportunities from the point of view of feminism have been put to consideration. Also arguments relating to the formal incentives, situational solutions and the views of social network analysts in relation to women’s occupational equality and inequality are dealt with.

What is meant by employment in this article is actually getting out of the house and applying oneself to a special task, at a particular time, with a determined payment and benefits. However, a housewife is by no means redundant, and she has a variety of occupations and at times can appear in conflicting roles. With regard to studying the problem qualitatively (dealing with the economical, social and service giving aspects) a number of questions arise, which the article intends to answer: Do housewives count as a part of society’s active strata? If not, Why? What would the effects and consequences of counting housewives as active or in employment be?Why do Iranian women have a tendency for working outside the home? And how would having an occupation effect their behavior and spirits, and as an outcome, its impression upon the family. Why does appearing in a variety of roles result in a lack of harmony, or a conflict of loyalties, and how can this conflict be handled?In case women should willingly or unwillingly, find themselves obliged to have a job alongside their normal house chores, or in case the society should need their presence in the official workforce, is there a possibility of making these two responsibilities compatible with each other? If so, what would the consequences be? Would women’s occupation outside of the home be detrimental to the children’s up bringing? In the case of women seeking outside employment, what would the division of labor be like between men and women? Is there a conflict of loyalties between the role of women as members of the work force and their duty to the family?What are the determining factors, which may give rise to such a conflict? What are the obstacles in way of female employment in society? What would comprise a comprehensive look by the society towards female employment? What is the estimated number of Iranian women in the workforce? How can women’s working conditions be transformed? In Iran where the proportion of women in employment is considerably less than that of men, is it necessary to have protective laws?

In keeping with the industrial age, the employment of women has gained increasing importance because in attaining financial independence, personal identity, economic participation and the like, women have given greater value to seeking employment outside the home. In addition to these, the need for the presence of women in the work place in industrial societies, and even in the developing countries, has encouraged women to work. Consequently planning, passing and upholding these laws, which determine the manner of employment, working conditions, the level of wages, the quality of leaves and days off, are considerations, which cannot be avoided. The present article tries to draw up the view with which international documents and the Islamic Republic have looked at the problem of women’s employment.

Muslim scholars’ views on is divided into three viewpoints of tradition its, women movements and radical open Minded, and a moderate view point.Considering the principles dominating women’s personalities, origin an of source of differentiation be foeen employing men and women, Luke living differences and economic and behavioral differences and descriptive differences, Cause in Islamic thought that work to be a right for women but would not be an economic task imposed on them.Studying the reasons by opponents and proponents of women employment and how women are working in the west, today shows that al thong the context of women employment has gotten several chara cteristics and positive out comes, but it has negative out comes that cannot be rejected.

The phonomonon “employment” had been considered from the early stages of human life.Since then, women were working accornp anying men towards the economic growth of their community, but gradually, with soeieties’ being more complex and governing men-based culture and work specification, were either marginalized or were used as cheap Labour. Be cause of double pressure and female poorness of the globe, from 1970, the axis of sex planning was preauthorized in UN’s development programmers.The truth in Communities for women’s economic parti cipation, show Some contrast and quarrels, Because of working out door, women suffer double pressures which home tasks and training children also troubles it. While, in Islam, women’s main role is to be a wife er mother which should be priotorized.

This article studies the obstacles of women employment from the way of tendency to work and their work gratification. Work and its gratification has different meanings for different social groups including women and because knowing it will reflect the women’s tendencies, expectations and demands in this area, it is could be treed.Having defined conceptually the attitude and work gratification, then me consider the theories describing work gratification. At next stage, the process of sex separation at work and its relation with work gratification and work attitudes will be studied and then the appropriate theoretical models for introducing attitude, expectations and women’s claims will be discussed through introducing and explaining two concepts of attraction and rejection.