Islam, Authoritarianism, and Female Empowerment: What Are the Linkages?

Abstract

Most Islamic countries are governed by authoritarian regimes, and in most Islamic countries women’s economic, social, and political rights are significantly less than those of the men of their country. These well-known facts provide the basis for a highly original and important analysis by M. Steven Fish.¹ Fish’s major contribution is his suggestion that the relationships at issue are not merely a matter of spurious correlation but rather are indicative of a deep underlying causal pattern. In a sophisticated cross-national quantitative analysis, he shows the following:

• 1. Even controlling for many other alleged influences on countries’ political systems, countries with a largely Islamic religious tradition have significantly more autocratic governments than do non-Islamic countries.

• 2. Controlling for level of economic development, the condition of women is significantly worse in Islamic countries than in others.

• 3. In a more limited test, even when controlling for economic development and Islamic tradition, a low level of women’s rights may produce lower levels of democracy.

• 4. More speculatively, Islamic states may be more autocratic so as to repress women’s rights more effectively, or autocratic government may permit and even require the repression of a range of human rights, including those of women.