The Ideal and the Real:

Abstract

Kelantan Malay society exhibits several properties, such sa a bilateral social structure and unrestricted economic participation for both sexes, which tend to promote equality for women at the village level. At the same time Islam, introduced to the area 500 years ago, actively minimizes the status and rights of women. These contending influences promote the creation of a set of village level strategies for maintaining the letter of Islamic law while preserving the spirit of traditional village social structure and the rough equality of women. Further, these influences can be seen to affect the roles of young unmarried women, wives, divorcees, and even prostitutes.