Despite the growth of feminist movements and organizations across the globe and the adoption by many states of gender-equality policies, feminist scholars note the patriarchal institutions and norms that privilege men in politics and labor markets. Modern expressions of patriarchy—the public patriarchy of the state, nonstate actors, and labor markets—are distinguished from premodern forms (the private patriarchy of household production and control of women by kin relations). They are defined and measured by gender gaps and forms of gender inequality in the economy, polity, and family, along with vulnerability to violence. A growing list of indices, developed by scholars and international organizations, has evolved to measure such gender-based gaps and inequalities and to rank countries on scales of women’s empowerment or lack thereof. Most JMEWS readers will be aware that countries of the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) typically do not score well.
Acknowledging patriarchy’s persistence but theorizing...
