Gender Struggle Within Complex Religious Realities: Druze Women in Israel as a Case Study

Druze society in Israel is culturally close to the general Arab society, particularly in terms of language and social norms, such as the importance of family honor. Druze society is relatively more conservative, due to its geographic isolation in a rural environment; the limited access to religious scriptures, which are only allowed to be read by religious people; and the lack of new formal interpretation of these scriptures. These unique religious characteristics burden Druze women and limit their sphere of action in their struggle against oppression. The current manuscript argues that while there is no formal structure that allows women to fight patriarchy in Druze society, many Druze women wage daily struggles for their basic rights. These struggles lead to a change in the social norms, and thus to a transformation of rural social behaviors. This manuscript focuses on two main fields in which these struggles take place: the struggle to realize women’s personal choices in issues like choosing their friends and realizing their sexuality, and the struggle for a greater mobility. The findings reveal two key strategies employed by these women: istighāba—realizing sexual desires in a hidden domain to avoid sanction, and bargaining with their family to expand their mobility.