Research.No.2 2023-6-3 (١) (استرداد)

Republic of Yemen Ibb University
Faculty of Arts
Ministry of Higher Education
English Department
and Scientific Research
The Representation of Women in Yemeni

Popular Proverbs; A Feminist Critical
Discourse Analysis.
Prepared by:
Kefaya Abdu Mohammed Yehya Al-Najjar

Mohammed Abdo Qaid Othman
Supervised by:
Dr.Anees Al-Najjar
Prof. of English Literature
English Department Faculty of Arts
Ibb University
June 2023
The Representation of Women in Yemeni Popular Proverbs; A Feminist-Critical Discourse Analysis.
Dedication
"Everything I am, Or ever will be, I owe it

to my mother.". My success is because of
her, *To you mother. * And this is just the
beginning. & To my biggest supporter,
who keeps saying "I am proud of you" *
To my father.*
Kyfaya
Dedication
To whom God has crowned with dignity, to
that who taught me to give without waiting,
to whom I proudly bear his name ¤ my
father ¤ To my angel in life, to the meaning
of love, tenderness and devotion, to the
smile of life and the secret of existence, to
whom was her prayer the secret of my
success. ¤ my mother ¤
Mohamed
Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

Acknowledgment
To the one who taught and benefited, planted and did well,
so that the harvest is almost generations, who will always be
remembered with goodness and a good memory in hearts
and minds. To you, our teacher and supervisor, Dr. Anees
Al-Najjar.
All praise does not fulfill your right. Thank you
wholeheartedly.

Chapter One
Abstract
The paper aims at shedding light on the stereotype of women in selected Yemeni
proverbs. It demonstrates women through the Yemeni popular proverbs in different
sides. So in this research we have collected several proverbs from three
books,"Yemeni Proverbs" by Ismaiel Al-Akwa,"The Yemeni Treasure of Popular
Proverbs" by Mohammed Othman Al-Adeemy, and "The Proverbs Lexicon" by
Ahmed Al-Hamadani. The assumption is that woman's image is distorted because of
men's chauvinism in the patriarchal Yemeni society. Samples of these proverbs have
been analyzed to show how women are stereotyped. The study is divided into four
chapters; the first is a definition of terms and concepts and the related studies; the
second is about a background of feminism; the third is the stereotype of woman and
the forth is the woman's image in the Yemeni Popular Proverbs written by writers;
and the conclusion and the result of the study.
Keywords: Stereotype, Proverbs, Woman.

Introduction
1.1. Introduction:
In fact, proverbs and idioms among nations are numberless/ countless in terms of
woman!!!
Language is a mirror through which one can see social views and attitudes of
human beings; all kinds of social phenomena are bound to be reflected in language.
Proverbs, as an essence and an important part of language and carrier of culture,
reflect people’s perspectives and systems of society. They are not just words molded
into sentences, relying mostly on assonance, and reflecting the mirror of peoples, but
rather contribute to shaping society's culture, philosophy and behavior, and push it to
be positive and interact with others. Hence, the study of the popular proverb is a study
of the behavior of individuals in society, their activities, and their ways of thinking
(Abu Daf, 1999: 2). As it exerts a dangerous magic and influence on mentalities and
behaviors on the grounds that it represents the wisdom of the ancestors, and the
summary of their life experiences. Proverbs, by their nature, are an intellectual
attempt to abstract reality into an absolute to show the content through a specific
saying. The style of word changes from one language to another, but the content, with
its significance and purpose, remains clear in the structure of the proverb.
By looking at the Holy Qur’an, we find that setting proverbs is one of the usual
methods in many places, which works to approximate the meaning through these
proverbs. Al-Zarkashi says in this regard: “The purpose of the proverb is to liken the
hidden to the manifest, and the witnessed to the unseen". Accordingly, Allah has
presented many proverbs, for example, Allah says:
﴾ ‫﴿َأَلم َتَر َك يَف َضَرَب ُهَّللا َم َثاًل َك ِلَم ًة َطِّيَبًة َكَش َجَر ٍة َطِّيَبٍة َأصُلها ثاِبٌت َو َفرُعها ِفي الَّسماِء‬
Do you not see how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good "
?tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky
This verse is referring to the example Allah gives of the word of Tawheed (the
oneness of Allah), which is "La ilaha illa Allah" (there is no god but Allah). It is
compared to a good tree, with strong roots that absorb water and nutrients from the
earth, and high branches that reach towards the sky to absorb sunlight and fresh air.

This analogy emphasizes the importance of having a strong foundation in faith, as

" .well as reaching towards spiritual growth and enlightenment
So this is the highest example through which Allah has given us. Another example of
that as the prophet Muhammad peace and blessing be upon him has presented:
( ..‫) َم َثُل الُم ؤِم ُن اَّلِذ ي َيقَر ُأ الُقرآَن َك َم َثِل األتُر َج ة ريُح َها َطِّيٌب َو َطعُمَها َح لو‬
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The example of a believer who
recites the Quran is like that of a citron, its fragrance is sweet and its taste is
delicious." This means that just as the citron has a pleasant fragrance and taste, the
recitation of the Quran by a believer also has a beautiful effect on those who hear it.
.The Quran is not only beneficial for the reciter but also for those who listen to it
The Arab world, and Yemen in particular, is full of popular proverbs that
represent the advice and recommendations of the ancients, and provide us with a
summary of their experience in life in the form of harmonious, resonant words with a
distinctive rhythm, which helps them stick to the memory when they are heard from
the first time, and this type of folklore has a power comparable to the power of
religious teachings from Where it spreads among the public and their ability to obey
it. As it has a historical, human, and societal reference due to its inclusion in limited
balanced phrases that portrayed society at various stages of time and revealed its way
of thinking and living specially for woman. The big question that Do such proverbs,
offensive to women, have an impact on young people? And why are they still
deliberating at a time when women have become an active element in society like
men?
The Yemeni woman is seen as a rare example of her long-sufficiency in

spinning the wheel of social life and moving her daily interactions, which provided
her with ample opportunities to penetrate the folds of the literary folklore and impose
herself as a major component of its entity. So, this research highlights the stereotype
of woman in the Yemeni Popular Proverbs which talk about woman in different sides
in order to reveal how woman was exactly seen in the past, and it talks about woman
in three sides, woman as the object of sex, Women as representation of virtue and
Constructions of submissiveness.
1.2. The reasons for conducting the study:
2.1. Self-Motivation:
As researchers, we are passionate about exploring and shedding light on

important social issues. The representation of women in Yemeni popular proverbs is a
topic that deserves attention and analysis, as it reflects the cultural attitudes towards
women in Yemeni society. By conducting a feminist critical discourse analysis, I can
contribute to the ongoing conversation about gender equality and challenge harmful
stereotypes and biases. This research has the potential to make a positive impact on
the lives of Yemeni women by promoting awareness and understanding of their
experiences. As such, I am motivated to undertake this research with dedication and
rigor, in order to produce meaningful insights that can inspire change.
2.2. Objective Motivation:
 Knowing the image that proverbs paint for us, whether negative or
positive, to see the percentage of what women are like in the minds of
society.
 Studying the Yemeni folklore of women and finding out whether this
image coincides in the Arab world and the entire world, knowing that
the stereotyped image of women has been studied in most countries
because it is somewhat similar to the stereotyped image of Yemeni
women.
1.3. The significance of the study:
1. It sheds light on the ways in which women are represented in Yemeni

society through popular proverbs. Proverbs are an important part of
Yemeni culture and are often used to convey moral and social values.
By analyzing these proverbs from a feminist perspective, the research
can reveal how women are perceived and treated in Yemeni society..
2. The research can help to challenge negative stereotypes and biases

against women that may be perpetuated through popular proverbs. By
identifying problematic representations of women, the research can
contribute to efforts to promote gender equality and challenge gender-
based discrimination.
3. The use of a feminist critical discourse analysis approach is significant

because it recognizes that language is not neutral but rather reflects and
reinforces power relations within society. By analyzing language use
from a feminist perspective, the research can reveal how gendered
power relations are constructed and maintained through language.
4. The research can contribute to broader discussions about the role of

language in shaping social norms and values. By examining the ways
in which popular proverbs reflect and reinforce gendered norms, the
research can highlight the importance of promoting more inclusive and
equitable language use in all aspects of society.

1.4. The Aims of the Study:
This research aims to:
1. Conducting a feminist critical discourse analysis of Yemeni popular

proverbs to examine the representation of women and their inherited
beliefs that hold significant influence in shaping societal perceptions of
women.
2. Investigating the portrayal of women in Yemeni popular proverbs and

shedding light on their position in society, particularly in relation to the
selection of proverbs that align with prevailing attitudes towards
women.
3. Determining the prevalence of negative and positive depictions of

women in Yemeni popular proverbs through a comprehensive analysis
that considers the broader cultural context.
1.5. The limitation of the study:
This study is limited to proverbs that dealt with Yemeni women in all their forms,
woman as the object of sex, Women as representation of virtue and Constructions of
submissiveness.
1.6. The study sample:
About thirty popular proverbs were collected in circulation on the tongues of the
ancient ancestors and the elderly. They were written in the books, "The Yemeni
Proverbs" by Ismaiel Al-Akwa, "The Yemeni Treasure of Popular Proverbs", by
Mohammed Othman Al-Adeemy, and "The Proverbs Lexicon" by Ahmed Al-
Hamadani. The study settled on collecting these proverbs and explaining them.
1.7. Study steps:
1. The study of this research begins with a short overview of feminism,

its emergence and development in the world and the Arab world, and
specifically its emergence and development in Yemen.
2. Studying the stereotype, its definition and appearance.
3. The stereotypical image of women and their study, as some have said.
4. -The stereotypical image of women in Yemeni popular proverbs, in

which Yemeni popular proverbs and women were studied.
5. Proverbs that speak about women, as the object of sex, representation

of virtue, and Constructions of submissiveness, were collected and

expressed by explicit words or the pronoun indicating them, and their

indications and proportions are clarified.
1.8. Hypotheses:
The representation of women in Yemeni popular proverbs has a significant impact

on the way women are perceived and treated in Yemeni society.
1.9. Research questions:
1. How do Yemeni popular proverbs represent women and their roles in

society?
2. What are the underlying power dynamics and gender stereotypes

present in these proverbs?
3. How can a feminist critical discourse analysis of Yemeni popular

proverbs contribute to a broader understanding of gender relations in
Yemeni culture?

Chapter Two
2.Theoretical Background:
2.1. Feminism
Feminism is a social and political movement that advocates for gender equality
and the rights of women. The history of feminism can be traced back to the 19th
century when women began to demand their right to vote, own property, and receive
an education. The first wave of feminism focused on these issues and culminated in
the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote
in the United States.
The second wave of feminism emerged in the 1960s and focused on broader
issues such as reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and sexual harassment.
This wave also brought attention to recognizing that women's experiences are shaped
by factors such as race, class, and sexuality. The third wave of feminism emerged in
the 1990s and focused on issues such as body positivity, sex positivity, and
transgender rights.
Today, feminism continues to evolve as new issues arise. Some current topics
include pay equity, reproductive justice, and ending violence against women. While
there has been progress made towards gender equality over the years, there is still
much work to be done. Feminism remains an important movement for advocating for
women's rights and challenging patriarchal systems that perpetuate inequality.
2.2. Feminism in Arab World
Feminism in the Arab world has been a topic of discussion for many years.
Women in the Arab world have been fighting for their rights and equality for decades.
Despite facing many challenges, women have made significant progress in their
struggle for gender equality. Some of the most prominent feminist figures in the Arab
world include Nawal El Saadawi, Mona Eltahawy, and Lina Ben Mhenni.
Nawal El Saadawi is an Egyptian feminist writer who has been advocating for
women's rights since the 1970s. She has written extensively on issues such as female
genital mutilation, domestic violence, and women's oppression. One of her most
famous quotes is "I do not accept the excuse that we are a poor country; poverty is not
an excuse for oppression." This quote highlights the fact that poverty should not be
used as an excuse to deny women their rights.
Mona Eltahawy is another prominent feminist figure in the Arab world. She is an
Egyptian-American journalist and activist who has been advocating for women's
rights since the early 2000s. She has written extensively on issues such as sexual
harassment, domestic violence, and women's oppression. One of her most famous
quotes is "My body is not your battleground." This quote highlights the fact that
women's bodies should not be used as a tool for political or religious agendas.
Lina Ben Mhenni was a Tunisian blogger and activist who played a significant
role in the Tunisian revolution of 2011. She was known for her activism on issues
such as freedom of speech, human rights, and gender equality. One of her most
famous quotes is "We are all born free and equal." This quote highlights the fact that
everyone should be treated equally regardless of their gender or any other factor.
In conclusion, feminism in the Arab world has come a long way over the years.
Women have been fighting for their rights and equality, and they have made
significant progress. Prominent feminist figures such as Nawal El Saadawi, Mona
Eltahawy, and Lina Ben Mhenni have played a significant role in this struggle. Their
quotes highlight the fact that women should be treated equally and that their bodies
should not be used as a tool for political or religious agendas.
2.3. Feminism in Yemen:
Yemeni women have been prevented from many rights, and they have been prevented
from exercising many of those permitted by Sharia, out of the motive of preserving
and maintaining them. With time, the role of women in public life and even in their
family environment has declined as a result of the spread of illiteracy among women,
whether literate or illiterate, ignorance of religion, it has an impact in turn on society
with the succession of generations and the backwardness of their educational
incubators.
The popular cultural heritage in any society represents a treasury of the values,
concepts, perceptions and life experiences of this society. There are popular proverbs
that explain the nature of the Yemeni society's view of women, such as the proverbs
(once of it is uttered in the history of feminism in Yemen), “All wickedness is but little
to the wickedness of a woman. " He strikes for denying the right opinion of the
woman because she is very emotional. The feminist movement passed through several
stages until it crystallized in several directions, and was dominated by the approach of
the extremist trend, through his speeches and positions of influence in the
international institution. The Yemeni feminist movement was characterized by
features that differed according to the ruling and historical regime until after the unit.

2.4. The stage of development the feminist movement in the south:
Britain occupied the southern part of Yemen in 1837 AD, especially the city of Aden.
And due to the existence of social barriers that the British did not intend to overcome,
and the British occupation authority did not interfere in the social issues of the people
of Aden, and indeed the initiative came from a woman whose father was keen to
educate her in a boy's school, and (Noor Haier) started her project from her home in
1925 AD. Then, her house turned into a girls' school, and in fact it was transformed in
1934 AD with official assistance to be the first school for girls, and this step was
encouraged by an Iraqi woman (Noria Inayah), who was living in Aden with her
father, an officer in the British army, to open a school in Aden Crater Center in 1935
AD. The secondary schools were founded, which confer the Cambridge certificate.
Furthermore, several women's associations appeared in Aden, including the "Adeni
Women's Association", which was founded by (Ruqayya Muhammad Nasser), and
also (Radhiya Ihsan Allah) (the Arab Women's Association) in Aden in 1956 AD and
was concerned with women's and children's affairs
2.5. The stages of development of the feminist movement in the north:
The first women's association in the north was established in the Nursing Institute)
and it had a role in (raising awareness of the importance of education and getting out
of the crucible of poverty and under development. In 1964, the Egyptian mission in
Taiz opened a center for women to eradicate illiteracy, teach manual skills, and
provide health awareness and cinematic shows. Then in 1965 the name of the center
was transferred to the Yemeni Women's Association, and Fatima Abu Bakr Al-
Awlaki was its first president. After the unity, the arrangement of the political house
began again, and it was the predominant concern of the parties, as is customary, to
reach power and hold the reins of government, or to share it with others. But the
political situation worsened and cast a shadow over the society, as the feminist
movement lost for the second time the opportunity to form and be publicly visible due
to the circumstances that surrounded it, but it achieved at least several gains from
them:
 Adoption of a secular constitution that unleashes freedom and equality

between men and women
 Descriptive openness towards women in high positions
 The merger of the Yemeni Women’s Union in the southern and

northern governorates under one name, the Yemeni Women’s Union in
1990 to take a new role and adopt issues that are in line with the
current stage and with the future directions that the union sought to
achieve
2.6. The development of the feminist movement since 1997:

The feminist movement in this period began to crystallize and appear publicly through
official and unofficial institutions, announced plans, activities, events, conferences,
published literature and newspapers.
Chapter Three
3.1. The stereotype:
The origin of the term stereotype comes from the Greek word (stereos) which means
"strongly established" and (typos) which means "impression". Hence, literal meaning
is: a strong impression of an idea/theory or several/theories.The term was first used by
Firming Didot in 1798, to describe a printing coating that could copy and print letters.
This typography, or stereotype, can be used to print copies, in place of the original.
This term has long been used for "an image that can be maintained unaltered", the
American journalist. (1922).
Walter Lippman used the term "stereotype" in his book "Public Opinion" to refer to
people's beliefs about different social groups. Since that proposition, most social
scientists have confirmed the inaccuracy of these judgments, and sociologists have
identified the basic cognitive processes that lead people to exaggerate the real
differences between groups and to adopt false beliefs about people. Walter Lippmann
defined it as “a transfer beliefs and the formation of social defences; If it contributes
to working on the basic formation of personal characteristics, hobbies and
affiliations”. " Gender Stereotype". In a general sense, the concept of stereotype
refers to a set of beliefs and preconceived notions that unify reactions towards a
specific thing, but the problem of stereotypes is that they may be inaccurate in many
cases, and the images, starting from the childhood period, and the result of the culture
of society and the family. For instance, if we talk about stereotype we know that "All
Italian men are passionate”, “All Muslims are terrorists", and “All Germans are
Nazis”. Sidqi, S. (2022)."What is the Stereotype". Thus, where no race is devoid of a
stereotype that distinguishes it from other races, but despite this, the largest
percentage of stereotypes is closer to error, as it depends on the individual experiences
of people who transferred their experiences to societies.Here some hints of previous
studies that talk about the stereotype exactly about the stereotype of woman in
selected proverbs:
Kiyimba (2005) depicted numerous proverbs of Baganda that mirror mediocrity of

females in different manners. This mediocrity is replicated in such proverbs which
stretch that a woman is viewed as not up to the mark if she gives birth to female child
only: “She who gives birth to [only] girls, is not assured of a place in her husband’s
clan (p.262).” Contrastingly, a lady is romanticized if that she gives birth to baby

boys: “One who will become a favorite begins by giving birth to a baby boy”. (p.262)
This gives us the understanding that a wife among many wives of a man, if gives birth
to a boy, will be the husband's favorite. Kiyimba (2005) additionally exhibited
proverbs that externalize women and present young ladies as social and material
objects. Cases of this sort of saying include: "“He who produces beautiful ones will be
visited by big ones (ibid. p.264)." This proverb implies that a family's wealth could
improve on the off chance that the family has a lovely little girl, since she is probably
going to wed a well-off man who might pay her family a ton for her.
Belhajj Khera and Bin Moamen Khera (2011/2012) have searched for the stereotypes
of women in the" Algerian Popular Proverbs". This research has aimed for the
stereotype of women specially married women and how they are pictorial in the
minds of those traditional societies and the status of women that is occupied in
society. It investigates the revelation of the extent of correspondence the stereotype of
women in the social perspective. So they have collected about 76 proverbs about
women. So the result of this research is that it dominated for the bad side of women.
Samiha Ahmed Bin Salman and Khalid Yeslem Belkhasher (2016) studied "The
Representation of Women in Selected Hadhramian Proverbs". It aims to analyze the
Hadhramian proverbs in order to expose the representation of women as conveyed by
these proverbs. The study is also set out to investigate the attitudes of young males
and females in Hadhramout towards the image of women in proverbs, and to explore
the reasons behind their attitudes. Though, this research investigates the issue of
women from the two sides, positive and negative. These proverbs focus on: the
dominance of the voice of men over the world that women are totally dependent on
men and their opinions, attitudes are weak in the consideration of men. Lack of
Intellectual Ability and women's weakness which represent women as weekend the
value of their mind are sheep in front of men and so on. Also they represent the
positive side of women from beautifulness, Neutral Connotation. So, this study aimed
at correcting the notion of the relationship between both genders, men and women.
3.2.The stereotypes of woman:
Since eternity, we have always been to framing the roles of women, restricting them
and making them intuitive in society as if. they were unpredictable constants and an
inevitable destiny for all women,here Simone de Beauvoir presented her timeless and
historical saying, when she said "A woman does not generate a woman, but she
becomes so". Beauvoir,S.(2009)."A Room of One's Own" ,revealing a hidden aspect
that we almost do not care about the excess of what the woman is universally used to.
The feminist writer,Alif Shafiq, also asks more questions in this regard and said,
"What is exactly the normal woman? What are the women's qualities that are normal?
What are the other characteristics that are classified as cultural? Their families and
their societies shall form them in this way? Or is it another matter, in which the
natural and cultural characteristics are severely concerted to the extent that it is

difficult to decide on any division of these characteristics formed for women?

"Beauvoir,S.(2009)."A Room of One's Own"
Alexander says, "Most women have no personality at all". Lapropere says, "Women
are extremists. They are either better or worse than men". Dr. Johnson says, "Men
know that women are stronger than them, so they choose the weakest among them or
the most ignorant, even if they do not think that way." Why did they fear that women
would know as much as they knew?" . Beauvoir,S.(2009)."A Room of One's
Own".And as Napoleon wondered whether women could learn or not .Some
Barbarians say that they have no souls, and others, on the contrary, believe that
women are gods and worship them on this basis. Some sages believe that women are
shallower in mind, while others say that they are deeper in conscience and awareness.
Just as the ancient Germans believed that there is something sacred in women, they
used to consult them in the prophecy "Frazer" The golden bough.” On this, Virginia
Woolf says, “There is no place where I turned my eyes except that I found men who
thought and expressed their opinions about women, and their opinions were
different".Beauvoir,S.(2009)."A Room of One's Own".
In Greek civilization,we find that women are included in the property of their
guardian, and after marriage they belong to their husbands, meaning that A woman's
guardian is the one who controls her life, and when she marries, her husband controls
her. Simone De Beauvoir, in turn, emphasized the relationship between male and
female and the natural roles of each, saying, "Humanity is related to the male.It is not
the female, and the man is the one who gives the woman her existence", and this is
what Michelet meant when he described the woman as a relative being, that is, "she
cannot be understood or studied except by referring to the man”. Beauvoir,S.
(2009)."A Room of One's Own". In other words, the status and role of the woman in
society is always related to the man, as it cannot be understood or studied. life except
by including it in the life of a man.
3.3.Proverb:
Historians of the proverb refer the word proverb to the end of the twelfth century, and
it is borrowed from the Latin language proverbium, and its meaning was a riddle or a
comparison. As Al-Farabi says: “The proverb is what the public and the elite are
satisfied with in its wording and meaning, until they used it among themselves, and
they proclaimed it in good times and bad times, so they turned around with it the
abstaining from the path, and reached with it the short demands, and relieved by it
from distressing anguish, and it is one of the most eloquent wisdom because People
do not gather on one who is deficient or short in quality or who is not exaggerated in
reaching the limit in preciousness".” And as it was mentioned in the book of Proverbs
by Al-Nuri (1981 AD) “The proverb is a speech with clear meaning, brief
pronunciation, good analogy, gentle expression, good impact on the listener, covered
by the tongues, and its meaning became clear and circulated lightly on the tongue, by

which it is intended as a metaphor About something that those present would

understand” (pg. 5).
Researcher Hala Awada, a professor at the Institute of Social Sciences at the Lebanese
University, told ,in "The Independent Arabia", that popular proverbs are often
considered an intense and eloquent summary of an experience that people lived in a
certain period of time, to be returned and passed down through generations. And
because people’s experiences are diverse, we find that proverbs are also diverse, and
they are sometimes contradictory and reflect two different human experiences. Al-
Alusi said that “quoting proverbs has a great income in the chapter of guidance,
because it highlights the intelligible in the form of the sensible and portrays the
eternal meanings in the image of the familiar”, (Al-Alusi, 1985 AD, Surat Al-Nur,
commentary on verse 35). Ibn al-Qayyim (1997 CE) said in the signs of the
signatories about the function of the proverb “to approximate the intent, to understand
the meaning, to convey it to the mind of the listener, and to bring it to himself in the
form of the example with which it was represented, for it may be closer to his
reasoning, understanding, control and evocation of it by evoking his counterpart; For
the soul becomes familiar with counterparts and likenesses in complete intimacy, and
is alienated from estrangement, loneliness, and lack of peer.
In sum, popular proverbs - in all their manifestations, methodologies, and contexts -

are a group of popular convictions with a simple and focused formulation that reduce
deep meanings and embody general beliefs among people that have been formed over
the years from various experiences to become the wisdom of the predecessors, the
balance of the successors, and an educational legacy for generations throughout the
ages.
3.4.The Yemeni Folk Proverbs and Woman :
"Every language of the world has popular proverbs that include a set of ideas and
beliefs that are the product of years and experiences. The proverbs indicate the
mentality of the people from which it emanates, and depict their social life, and they
are the best evidence of their morals, the nature of their culture, their preoccupations,
and their concerns, and an observer of the conditions and assets of their environment,
and an interpreter of the level of their language and the approach to their education,
and they contain an accurate recording of an aspect of their general history, so that
some proverbs are born. The legend in the context of local history, or the result of an
incident that is narrated as a major historical event, such as those derived from the
days of the Arabs "(The Arab Encyclopedia, 2001 AD, Part 3, p. 486).
since popular proverbs work to convey people's experiences, and people conform to
the culture in which they live, and "our culture is a culture that glorifies the 'patriarch',
the symbolic father who owns women and their bodies," so most Yemeni popular
proverbs worked to destroy the image of women as property. The negative role of the
media deepens the negative view of women, as in the family program on Sana’a
Radio and the famous song that reflects popular examples when it says: “The home is
a woman and the cereal is a mote" .Therefore, “half of society” is a victim of a
popular proverb that shows it as the weakest link in a society dominated by
agricultural or nomadic culture. These and other examples are circulated to suppress
Women when they take the initiative to create a model that differs from the
stereotyped image of women in a self-reflecting society.”Although Yemeni popular
proverbs were said hundreds of years ago, they are still said thousands of times in
Yemeni societie.

Chapter Four
4.Proverbs For Analysis:
The results showed in the Yemeni proverbs that women are portrayed as object of
sex, representation of virtue and constructions of submissiveness. As shown in the
following :
4.1.Women as object of sex:
One feminine stereotype is the perception that women pay particular attention to their
physical appearance (see Liu et al., 2012). This is in fulfilment of the expectation that
women should be physically attractive (perhaps in fulfilment of their role as ‘sex
objects’, i.e. being the focus of attention for men’s sexual desires.
This stereotype is reproduced in the following proverbs:
"‫"المليحة للمالح والخيبة للرباح‬-1
The beautiful women have the choice to marry handsome men, but the ugly have no (
).chance but their resemblance
From a feminist perspective, this statement highlights the societal pressure placed on
women to conform to traditional beauty standards. It suggests that a woman's worth is
determined by her physical appearance and that she must compete with other women
for the attention and affection of men. This perpetuates harmful stereotypes and
reinforces the idea that women exist solely for the pleasure of men. It also ignores the
importance of personality, intelligence, and other qualities that make a person
attractive beyond their physical appearance. Ultimately, feminism seeks to challenge
these narrow beauty standards and promote equality for all individuals regardless of
.their gender or appearance
"‫"تقول للقمر غيبي وانا مكانش‬-2
"She has a moon face "
Women proverb describe a woman as beautiful, and that her beauty can be dispensed
with the light of the moon. Here, the description is for the physical beauty and has no
connection with the spiritual side of women or her intelligence.
"‫"أم أربعة خبشة مرقعة‬-3
"The mother of four children is a spent woman has no value anymore"
It hits a woman who has many children, so she is no longer able to bear the
responsibility and becomes unable to bear marital life and its burdens. Moreover, this
proverb says that after reproduction of four children women lose their beauty and they
are no more valuable.
" ‫"أكلها لحمة ورماها عظمي‬-4
"He married her when she was young and beautiful and then abandoned her when she
got spent and old. "
This statement is a clear example of how patriarchal society values women solely
based on their physical appearance. It reinforces the idea that women's worth is
determined by their youth and beauty, and once they age or lose their physical
.attractiveness, they become disposable and unworthy of love and respect
" ‫"إن سرقت اسرق جمل وان عشقت اعشق قمر‬-5
”.If you are going to do something, go all out “
"If you steal, steal some thing has a great value, and if you love, love a woman with a
great beauty."
This proverb is a recommendation not to steal unless you have to, then steal
something of value... and not to love, but a woman who deserves your love.
" ‫"تدور بعد المكرع والمناصف في جيبك‬-6
"Try not to search about stars when you already have the moon in your hands "
This proverb highlights the tendency of individuals with wandering eyes to pursue
attractive women, disregarding the fact that they already have a stunning partner.
From a feminist perspective, this adage suggests that men frequently seek out the
.most visually appealing women and are never content with what they already possess
"‫"بارك هللا في الرجال المزعلة والنساء المحلسة‬-7
"May God bless the men who are rough , and the women who are soft."
It is struck in the context of talking about the roughness of a man's body and the
softness of a woman's body, especially the presence of hair on the man's body and the
purity of the woman's body from it.
"‫"لبس البوصة تطلع عروسة‬-8
"If an ugly woman dresses well so she is going to be a bride”
It is considered one of the popular proverbs indicating bullying against women, as it is

and just has a small amount of beauty . It demonstrates that most of the people don’t
care of what a woman is , the just care about how a woman look even if she is not
intelligent or has no mindset.
"‫"ما للخادمة العورا إال الدف المخزوق‬-9
“A one-eyed maid deserves no more than a pricked drum”
An ugly woman has no value in the society and she deserves nothing but the junky
things. Analyzing this proverb using feminist lens, we can notice that society’s sole
goal is beauty and it gives ugly women no value or care . it never values women’s
intelligence, virtue or smartness .
" ‫"أينما حلت الغيد حليت‬-10
"Settle Wherever the beauty stay"
It is mentioned in the beautiful woman by lovers who love beauty and enjoy seeing it.
"‫"يوم عرس العورة يختزق الطبل‬-11
"On the day of the wedding of the one-eyed ,the drum pierces."
This proverb hits when the matter goes in the opposite direction of the desire of the
unlucky and unfortunate person
" ‫"ام الصبيان ما تعشق اال عريج‬-12
"The mother of Jinns only adores rickety"
It talks about woman who is deformed or who has a disability and loves someone who
looks like her.
4.2.Women as a representation of virtue:
The following proverbs stipulate what are considered, within the Yemeni socio-
cultural context, as characteristics of virtue: hard work, the ability to cook delicious
food and submissiveness.
" ‫"جربة تدي الذري‬-13
"A farm repays cereals"

There is an analogy to the righteous woman - that she is like the fertile soil that
returns to man what he sows in it exponentially, so she meets her husband's kindness
to her with more obedience, care, and work.
"‫"المرة المدبرة مثل الضمد المشمر‬-14
"A woman who manages is better than a bandage rolled up"
The bandage is a pair of bulls that require equality between them in everything: age,
strength, size, and they are used for plowing, and this proverb favors a woman who is
keen on the tools of making a living, and this is a very great honor for women.
" ‫"البيت المرة والحبة الذرة‬-15
"The house is a woman, the cereal is mote .
The woman in her home, and that the house is not upright without the woman, as she
is its pillar and pillar of stability and regularity, just as corn is the food that the house
is no thing without it .
"‫"ثور لي وثور للمرة‬-16
"A bull for me and another bull for my wife"
The woman and the man in the company in marital life, each of them is entrusted with
his own tasks.
"‫"تدبير ديمة وال سفرة ال عدن‬-17
"Arrangement of house and no travel to Aden"
Al-Dima: The kitchen, which means that the woman’s management of the
household’s affairs and her economy in its expenses is more profitable than traveling
to Aden for trade. It seems that a woman's management of her home affairs is more
blessed than any other work done by her husband.
" ‫"امرض أنا وال تمرض المرة‬-18
"To get sick is better to be on my wife"
The proverb is said by a man when his wife falls ill, preferring that the disease be
transmitted to him so that the order of the house does not change.
" ‫"االم حوض الروى واالب جنة خضراء‬-19
"Mother is the watering basin and the father is green garden"

That is, the mother, in her affection for her son, is like a cistern, from which love and
kindness are watered, while the father is in his care, like a green paradise overflowing
with bounties.
" ‫"إذا قلت رجالك ناسبت‬-20
"If your men are little you can marry"
Those who have no family and his advice is to marry and intermarry with people who
pull his back .
" ‫"بنت االصول خير من المال والمحصول‬-21
-- Daughters of good families are better than money and crops
In other words, money and crops come and go, unlike a righteous woman who takes
care of your affairs and comforts you in every situation and at all times. In this
proverb, he urges marriage from decent and authentic families, and it corresponds to it
in the eloquent: “Decent marriages are runways of honor.
" ‫"ال ناجحة جاعت وال ساقي ضمي‬-22
"Neither successful is hungry, nor a barman is thirsty"
It confirms that a person does not attribute a share
Successful woman who cooks food. The butler who fetches water from the well.
" ‫"مغدية قهرت مائة شاقي‬-23
The one who gives food conquered a hundred labors.
The skilled woman who performs a job that a hundred workers did not accomplish. A
woman who is good at the art of cooking.
" ‫"المرأة سراج البيت ولكن ال تخبرها بذلك‬-24
"The woman is the lamp of the house but do not narrate to her"
This proverb is used to show pride in women, as well as to warn against exaggeration
in flattery and praise for fear of dragging women into vanity and then corrupting their
characters.
4.3.Constructions of submissiveness:
Another socio-cultural expectation, that is, an ideal feminine characteristic in

patriarchal societies, is the submissiveness of women. For most feminists, however,
the submission of the woman also translates into her subordination, a concept which is
at the heart of feminist research. As shown in Yemeni proverbs, however, the

submission of a woman is interpreted positively as a virtue, an expression of love or

an indication of wisdom, as shown below:
" ‫"خير النساء ما اعجبت زوجها‬-25
"The best of women is what pleases her husband"
That is, the woman who gains the admiration of her husband is the best of women,
whether she is beautiful or not. It strikes that love is the true criterion of beauty.
" ‫"المحمية والمدقة فاقت جميع الغواني‬-26
"The protector and the pestle exceeded all the selves"
This proverb was preserved only by our grandmothers who are interested in eating
and crafting in cooking, which is an essential feature of women. .. Here is the
protector (which increases the fire in the oven) and the pestle - by breaking the meme
and tightening the broken caf - (which makes the bread very thin - and grinds the
grain with a mill until it is like dust in its fineness) in their view, she is the one who
surpasses all women who are distinguished by craftsmanship and skill, even
surpassing the owners of beauty and sense.
"‫"بارك هللا بالدابة السريعة والمرأة المطيعة‬-27
"God bless the ride that are fast, and the women who are obedient ".
It talks about the importance of obedient woman who is blessed by Allah.
"‫"اذا كان زوجي راضي فما فضول القاضي‬-28
"If my husband is satisfied, what is the curiosity of the judge?"
It hits those who immerse themselves in the matter of two agreed-upon people.
"‫"بجنح الرجال وال بجنح الحجار‬-29
"With the care of men is better than the care of stones".
In the sense that life under the care of the husband is better than staying behind the
wall without a husband.The abusive husband, nor the unit. In the sense that a little
benefit from it is better than a lot that you do not reach

4.4.The Result of the Study:
Popular proverbs devoted a large share to talking about the beauty of women and
considering it the only criterion for evaluating them, for example. Proverbs,1, and its
meaning is synonymous with example 2,and 7, as these proverbs encouraged marriage
to the beautiful woman as in the example 5. Also they described woman who has
children that her beauty has gone during breeding and no longer takes care of herself
as In the example 3. On the other hand, popular proverbs described some women as
ugly, and did not treat them with much kindness, meaning that an ugly woman has
nothing to help her mitigate her ugliness, but despite that she invites her to beautify,as
the examples 8 and 11. And they do not need announcements, weddings and
congratulations, as in the example 9. On the other hand,she has a big role in
completing the wheel of life equally a mother who is considered as a pillar of the
house as the examples 14,15,16,17,18,22,23,24. As well as,some proverbs advice the
marriage issue telling that the one who has no family should support himself with
people and benefit with them as the examples 20 and 21 . Also the woman as a wife
has to manage his affairs and she can comfort him in every situation in all times. In
conclusion, popular proverbs describe woman and her obedience to her husband and
her compliance with his orders as an important matter in building a family, such as
25,26,27and 28. Also all the rights are nothing in front of the satisfaction of her
husband as the example 28.
4.5. Conclusion:
Based on the results of the research on the stereotyped of women in the Yemeni
popular proverbs, it can be concluded that most of these proverbs tend to serve the
interests of men by protecting masculine dominance. In addition, the dominant
femininity that guarantees the dominant position of men and the subordination of
women, that is, accepting and complying with the traditional understanding of men, is
superior to women as shown by Yemeni proverbs in the research results. In addition,
in these proverbs, women are described as dependent on and submissive to men,
valued for their physical charms, domestic roles (cooking is delicious), must obey and
be able to serve their husbands.As she portrayed as excellent house makers and
obedient servants of their family. Here, it is important to note that almost all the
positive images of women are about their efficiency in the home and one rarely finds
the positive images of women in fields external to the home. Just as the proverbs did
not oppress the woman, since her relationship with the man is one of friendship and
cooperation, despite the images of the woman contained in the proverbs, because the
proverbs are for social guidance, and for prevention from mistakes or dangers that
may occur.
References:
Mujeres, F.(2011). History of Feminism in

Kenya.https://www.new-educ.com/english-grammar-websites
(2012). Feminism.ICS-Feminism-EDI
Report of Feminist leadership and movement Building institute(FLAMBI)by Nelly

Njoki-program coordinator amani Communities Africa(ACA)
Al-Khadhramy,A.(2007).The History of Feminism in Yemen.Albayan Magazine.The

situation of Yemeni woman during the British Management of Aden
Al-Khion,R.(2005).The situation of woman during the British Crown
The association of Yemeni woman in developing the socail work of woman for reality
and skyline .(2004).The Adminstarive Office
Belkhasher,K and Salman,S.(2016).Women's Representation in Selected Hadhrami

Proverbs.Hadhramout University Journal of Humanities, Volume 13, Issue 2
Halitim,Kh.(2010).The stereotype of woman in the Algerian popular proverbs
Najm,M and Ali,A.(2006).The stereotype of woman in the Palestinian popular

proverbs.
Amal,H and Zarhoni,E. The stereotype of woman in the Mistighanmy popular

proverbs
Alkandry,N and Malik,B. The stereotype of woman in the popular

proverbs.https://www.badermalek.com
Mariam,R.(2012). The Manifestations of the stereotype of woman in translating the

feminist literary.
Abo-Bakr,O.(2013).The Islamic Feminism and Prescription are a new vistas for

acknowledge and rehabilitation.The Association of Woman and Memory.
Abo-Shoka,A.(1999).The Freedom of Woman in the age of massage.Dar AlQalam for

publishing and distribution
Amro,A. Feminism from Extremism till Islamic.http://Www.mominoun.com
Alkhateeb,H.(1948).The History of development Feminism in Lebanon and its

correlation with Arab World. The Modernity House for publishing and distribution
Ameen,Q.(2012).The Liberation of Woman. Hindawy Association for Culture and

Education.Egypt.
The Gender stereotype.https://genderiyya.xyz/wiki
Gabarek,M.(2020).The Definition of the stereotype.The Syrian researchers.
https://www.syr-res.com/article/20688.html
Albakry,M.(2017).The stereotype of woman in Yemeni popular

tales.https://almadaniyamag.com/ar/2017/12/13.
Sidqy,S.(2022).What is the stereotype.https://www.mosoah.com/references/archives
Virginia,W.(2009).A Room of one's Own.www.madboulybooks.com

Infa@madboulybook.com
Kareem,H.(2020). Proverbs that Diminish the Importance of Woman During the

History .https://www.independentarabia.com/node
Alwan,P.(2019).Woman in the Yemeni Popular

Proverbs.https://manasati30.com/culture/7222/#:~:text=
Khera,B and Khera,B.(2012).The stereotype of woman in the Algerian popular

proverbs.
Al-Kandry,L.Malik,B.The Stereotype of Woman in the Proverbs in the Prescription of

the Faculty of fundamental Education in Kuwait.https://www.badermalek.com
,R.The Discrimination Against Woman in the Erdian Popular Proverbs.
Abdu-Almonaem,Y.(2016).The Stereotype of Woman in the American and British

journalism. Alarabi for populations and distribution
Aqeel,A.The Stereotype of Woman in Popular

Tales.://www.folkculturebh.org/ar/index.php?issue=40&page=article&id=755
Alkhodoria,Kh.(2019).The Stereotype of Woman in the Male Societies.
https
Wasel,W.(2021).Women Stereotype in the Book: Yemeni Tales and Legends.
Ansaq Magazine.https://doi.org/10.29117/Ansaq.2021.0132

Najjar,H.(2020)".This is how popular proverbs crush a woman's personality and

encourage her
abuse".https://www.noonpost.com/content/37445#:~https://www.noonpost.com/
content/37445.
Mubarok,M.(2017).REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE SUNDANESE

PROVERBS. IJASOS- International E-Journal of Advances in Social Sciences, Vol.
III, Issue 7, April 2017.
Alakwa,I.(2004). Yemeni Proverbs.
Aladeemy,M.The Yemeni Treasure of Popular Proverbs"
Al-Hamadani,A.(2013)."The Proverbs Lexicon.
Al-Khadouriya,K.(2019). stereotypical image of women in male-dominated

societies.https://alroya.om/post/251993/.
Al-Harazi,I.(2013).Yemeni women seek to change their stereotypes.

Alwan,2019,Women in Proverbs.https://manasati30.com/culture/7222/#:~:Nizar
Abadi, 2005, Women in Yemeni Proverbs.
Alia Bey, 2020, The Woman Between Popular Proverbs and Society Culture.
Sarah Muhammad 2022, popular Yemeni proverbs.https://almoheet.net

Research.No.2 2023-6-3 (١) (استرداد)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Research.No.2 2023-6-3 (١) (استرداد)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Research.No.2 2023-6-3 (١) (استرداد)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Republic of Yemen Ibb University

The Representation of Women in Yemeni

Kefaya Abdu Mohammed Yehya Al-Najjar

Prof. of English Literature

English Department Faculty of Arts

"Everything I am, Or ever will be, I owe it

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

Keywords: Stereotype, Proverbs, Woman.

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

This analogy emphasizes the importance of having a strong foundation in faith, as

The Yemeni woman is seen as a rare example of her long-sufficiency in

1.2. The reasons for conducting the study:

As researchers, we are passionate about exploring and shedding light on

2.2. Objective Motivation:

1.3. The significance of the study:

1. It sheds light on the ways in which women are represented in Yemeni

2. The research can help to challenge negative stereotypes and biases

3. The use of a feminist critical discourse analysis approach is significant

4. The research can contribute to broader discussions about the role of

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

1.4. The Aims of the Study:

This research aims to:

1. Conducting a feminist critical discourse analysis of Yemeni popular

2. Investigating the portrayal of women in Yemeni popular proverbs and

3. Determining the prevalence of negative and positive depictions of

1.5. The limitation of the study:

1.6. The study sample:

1.7. Study steps:

1. The study of this research begins with a short overview of feminism,

2. Studying the stereotype, its definition and appearance.

4. -The stereotypical image of women in Yemeni popular proverbs, in

5. Proverbs that speak about women, as the object of sex, representation

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

expressed by explicit words or the pronoun indicating them, and their

The representation of women in Yemeni popular proverbs has a significant impact

1.9. Research questions:

1. How do Yemeni popular proverbs represent women and their roles in

2. What are the underlying power dynamics and gender stereotypes

3. How can a feminist critical discourse analysis of Yemeni popular

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

2.2. Feminism in Arab World

2.3. Feminism in Yemen:

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

2.4. The stage of development the feminist movement in the south:

2.5. The stages of development of the feminist movement in the north:

 Adoption of a secular constitution that unleashes freedom and equality

 Descriptive openness towards women in high positions

 The merger of the Yemeni Women’s Union in the southern and

2.6. The development of the feminist movement since 1997:

3.1. The stereotype:

Kiyimba (2005) depicted numerous proverbs of Baganda that mirror mediocrity of

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

3.2.The stereotypes of woman:

Ibb University, Faculty of Arts

difficult to decide on any division of these characteristics formed for women?