Arab Knowledge Report 2009: Towards Productive

of various ethnic, religious, and othermarginalised social groups, as well as ofyoung people in that area. According tothe report, this applies equally to advancedand developing countries, in that the crisisin science education for women may beunderstood as an indicator of genderinequality. This report called for supportof initiatives to make science educationaccessible to all regardless of gender. Eventhough the influence of the positivistapproach on the report is clear, whatmatters is that, in general terms, educationis an appropriate way to approach thestatus of women in the knowledge societyproject. To release the freedom andinnovativeness of Arab girls and womenrequires preparation of numerous enablingenvironments. These should include thoseof the family, of societal education andupbringing, and of culture, in order todiscourage gender discrimination in itsvarious shapes and foster everythingthat may encourage women to playa distinguished role in development,knowledge, and public life. Difficult as itmay be, this choice may equip Arab societyto expand human well-being and give newgenerations of girls more opportunitiesto enhance their dignity within society.Discussion of the status of womenin the knowledge society requires anacknowledgment of the complex natureof the subject. Inequality between menand women is longstanding and rootedin history. Ending discrimination meansupsetting many delicate balances that havebecome immutable principles (Kamal ‘Abdal-Latif, 2006, in Arabic). To confront thisproblematic issue requires caution andcourage—caution in constructing andanalysing the data and courage in buildingvisions and perspectives that are capableof shaking loose the discriminatorybehaviours and beliefs which have beenperpetuated in society through extantrules, laws, and cultures (Ruqayya al-Musaddaq, background paper for theReport, in Arabic). Let us then proclaimthe slogan: “No knowledge societywithout women!”To transform this slogan into reality, wemust reinforce the successes accumulatedby human experience, since educationshould be considered a central motorin the drive to prepare women to beproductive agents in the knowledge society.In recent times, a certain consensus hasbeen arrived at on the importance ofeducation in the life of women and insocial revival. Reformist writings of theArab Renaissance tend to link educationand work and their joint role in putting anend to the inferior status of women in oursociety. In 2007, UNESCO dedicated areport to the relationship between scienceand technology learning and gender. Itsmost significant recommendations were:1. Expanding women’s participation in thescientific and technological professionsand in scientific research.2. Raising public awareness of issuesrelated to science, education, andgender.3. Increasing the amount of data collectedin this area in order to support researchand construct suitable policies to endexisting disparities (UNESCO, 2007a,in Arabic).In Arab countries, political and culturalpressures and social constraints formmultiple and complex restrictions thatstrengthen tradition and conservatism andcreate options contradictory to those ofjustice, equality, and freedom. The effectsof these restrictions may be seen on thevarious structures of society and help delayestablishment of the knowledge society,whose material and symbolic options areunlimited. The Tunis Commitment issuedby the World Summit on the InformationSociety (United Nations, 2005, in Arabic)contained a clear recognition that a “genderdivide exists as part of the digital divide insociety” as well as clear support for genderequality and empowerment of women toovercome this divide. 3Women in general, and Arab womenin particular, have been subject tomuch discrimination, since informationtechnology has employed new mechanismsto draw stereotyped, degrading imagesIn Arab countries,political and culturalpressures andsocial constraintsform multiple andcomplex restrictionsthat strengthentradition andconservatismArab womenhave beensubject to muchdiscrimination,since informationtechnology hasemployed newmechanisms todraw stereotyped,degrading imagesof women, suchas those prevalentin the media andthe internetTHE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: CONCEPTS AND PROBLEMATICS OF THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY49