Posted on Nov 28, 2015
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Traveling in the Middle East unchaperoned (without a male guardian) with or without the appearance of military backing can be difficult to balance. It can be difficult even with a known military affiliation. It is also dependent on which country one is traveling in. Saudi Arabia is the most restrictive of ME countries on women, while Jordan is more westernized and has fewer restrictions.

**I probably should have expounded about female travel alone. Traveling alone gives a female access and the ability to observe from areas restricted to males traveling alone.

Traveling alone gives us the automatic protection in some areas of the religious police. They do not want any incidents.

The preconceived idea about Western women give us the uniqueness of disrupting their idea of order and structure.

A female gaining the trust of male gained (because they are forced to do business with her) say because she has a federal purchasing license. Gaining information through access at middle level and then upper level management. ...and to not be seen as threatening....

It could be a way of gaining information from a different venue...

In a society where women are viewed as being weaker not just physically but also mentally perhaps the exploitation of this view would be to our advantage.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/10/arab-myth-of-western-women
Posted in these groups: Images Women in the MilitaryStrategy globe 1cfii4y Strategy
Edited >1 y ago
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COL Jeff Williams
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No issues here in the UAE.
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COL Jeff Williams

Got to love the UAE. Women in labour force‎: ‎43.5% Women in parliament‎: ‎17.5%
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COL Jeff Williams
COL Jeff Williams
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They do however have Sharia law here. Except it seems that the more harsh sentences are usually reduced. There was an expat lady here last year (a teacher) that was murdered. Within 72 hours they caught the woman who did it, and not too long ago, executed her. No one here even thought twice about it
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COL Jeff Williams -

This is something I've thought about doing a piece on..... female on female crime.
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Maj Mike Sciales
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The real nugget is "Arab men think American women are highly sexualized." Yup, that would be the myth perpetrated by Playboy and The Kradashians because that never seems to be the case for the average American you see on Jerry Springer. They get this from TV, so why not? My experience says women are women where ever they are, men will always attribute characteristics to them that aren't necessarily true. Been that way everywhere forever. Good article. Thanks for sharing it.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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CPT (Join to see) Very interesting article!
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs - I agree with regards to those two. It is the same on the female side all the talk about purity.... but that behavior does not belong to men alone. misogyny among the women themselves when one would expect solidarity is surprising, the availability of risqué clothing and the wear of it beneath the biljab and hijabb again surprising among other things. Here is a mistake I think we are making as westerners that the widespread hypocracy belongs to men alone.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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Maj Mike Sciales
Maj Mike Sciales
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SGT (Join to see) - I can see you've never actually met any Gulf Arabs, because your comments are like saying all Mexicans wear sombreros and let their Ives work in brothels like in a border town. It just isn't true, it isn't fair and it isn't right. Posting such comments is just demeaning to your reputation
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SGT Medical Specialist
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Very touchy for the sensitive types. Some can't handle the open opinionated side of this discussion. Lol
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