How do the rights of women workers differ between Islamic and Western legal systems.

Abstract

This study examines the impact of legal improvements on women entering and remaining in work. It examines international standards and explanations for failure to meet them. Case studies of two very different countries, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom (UK), are employed to understand gaps between the standards and reality in the two countries. The findings are compared, examining the reasons for progress and continuing problems in each country, and conclusions and implications are drawn from this analysis. A number of recommendations are made for actions which could improve the situation for women workers in the short term. The study shows that legal improvements are a basic criterion for ensuring that women remain at work and that the absence of legislation or government support programmes causes a decrease in the number of women in the labour market. However, it is also clear from the comparison of two countries with very different starting points, that structural inequalities remain and that legislative measures on their own are insufficient to achieve the full rights of women workers