The Portrayal of Gender in the Arabic Construction

Abstract

The portrayal of gender in the Arabic construction has shown the existence of gender inequality. The Arabic language is a highly gendered language, with every word having its own male or female identity, and this has legitimized the existing gender disparities in Arabic society. Men and women are supposed to have particular characteristics, which are similarly reflected within specific spaces and positions. This article thus employs a qualitative approach to understand the gendered identities of Arabic-language words. Data were collected by reading Arabic-language texts and recorded words that highlighted the disparity between men and women. This article finds significant disparity, with words identified as male connoting strength, might, dominance, activeness, dynamicity, and independence and words identified as female connoting marginalization, subordination, passiveness, and dependence. This study highlights the unfair portrayal of women in Arabic constructions has legitimized gender inequality in Muslim society.

Received: 10 July 2022 / Accepted: 25 August 2022 / Published: 2 September 2022