The Trajectory of Women in the Field of Arabic Language and Literature

Abstract

This study aims to uncover the status of women in the fields of Arabic language and literature, tracing their academic presence across different eras and analyzing the nature of their participation in various linguistic disciplines. The study employs both descriptive and historical methodologies to document women's contributions in areas such as grammar, rhetoric, prosody, calligraphy, poetry, prose, and criticism, and to compare these contributions with the documented achievements of male figures and pioneers of grammatical, linguistic, and literary schools. The findings indicate that women have made significant contributions to the service of the Arabic language, both historically and in contemporary times, as evidenced by their poetic expressions and their roles in teaching, writing, and supervision. However, the heritage sources do not record any linguistic opinions or theories attributed to women that represent a school or doctrine in the language, in contrast to the establishment and codification attributed to men. The study highlights the emergence of women in the fields of literature, both in poetry and prose, as well as criticism, particularly in elegy, along with a growing contemporary presence of women in linguistic activities within universities and scientific institutions. Consequently, the study suggests the necessity of enhancing women's participation in linguistic research, empowering them in academic positions, and encouraging their contributions to conferences and linguistic assemblies, thereby fostering a balanced linguistic awareness that highlights the true status of women in Arabic linguistic studies.