7.Discuss womens position (in general) during 3 time periods Essay

7.Discuss womens position (in general) during 3 time periods - Essay Example Since the pre-Islamic Arabia was highly diverse, this influenced the role of women and their position in society. Before Islam, the core unit of the society in Arab was the tribe. Each tribe consisted of a clan, which further comprised of ‘hayy’ members, similar to today’s family members. Members of a tribe were related by blood, and headed by a chief, who also was charged with settling conflicts in the tribe. It is believed that most tribes bore feminine names, showing that the pre-Islamic Arabia was probably a matriarchal society (Muslim Women’s League Web). Diversity in pre-Islamic Arab led to different laws and customs among the people, depending on their communities. Therefore, it might be impossible to explain the position of women during this time using a single account. Different indications have pointed to the fact that women during this period were highly influential and allowed higher leadership positions in society. In this period, women had an upper hand in decision-making in different spheres of their personal life, as well as those issues that affected the society. This includes marriage and divorce, inheritance, and leadership, among others. However, despite this, women also were faced with challenges in society, including how men perceived them, and some were detrimental to womanhood. A major negative practice in pre-Islamic Arabia, which affected women adversely, was female infanticide. This mainly was performed on young girls, who would be buried alive upon birth. The main reason for female infanticide in pre-Islamic Arabia was for population control. Girls were chosen mainly because they were considered unproductive in society, except for their beauty. In addition, this would reduce the rate of poverty and famine during dry periods, since there would be no extra mouths to feed (Muslim Women’s League Web). With regard to marriage, men married women to increase the population of