The Experience of Bedouin-Arab Adolescent Girls in Polygamous Families

ABSTRACT

This study explores the experiences of Bedouin-Arab adolescent girls in polygamous families in Israel. It represents an initial effort to give a voice to daughters in such families. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 young women who described their experiences, as adolescents, of a polygamous family structure. The findings highlight a highly complex family form in which fairness and ethics may be severely challenged, which in turn can result in substantial injury to both the wife and the children. The findings also reveal how young Muslim women within a traditional and patriarchal society are beginning to actively challenge entrenched family practices and to hope for a different future for themselves. The findings are explored using transnationalism and Islamic feminism.

KEYWORDS:

• Bedouin-Arab
• polygamy
• transnational feminism
• Islamic feminism