The Status of Druze Women Between Religious Law, Tradition, and Modernity: A Historical Evolution With a Focus on Change in Israel

Abstract

This article examines the evolving status of Druze women in Israel at the intersection of religious law, communal tradition, and modern state structures. The study explores how religious norms governing marriage, divorce, and inheritance interact with social practice, and how political, educational, and economic changes since 1948 have expanded, yet also limited, the scope of Druze women’s agency. Methodologically, the work combines an extensive theoretical review with a chronological–comparative perspective, situating Israeli Druze women within the broader Druze world and within the landscape of women in other minority communities. It analyses qualitative accounts of women lived experiences alongside quantitative trends in education and employment. The main findings indicate simultaneous processes of change and continuity: significant advances in education and professional integration coexist with persistent expectations around family honour, marriage, and gendered divisions of labour. The article concludes by arguing for culturally sensitive, evidence-based policies that address both structural barriers and existing strengths, and by outlining an agenda for future research on Druze women’s agency, changing masculinities, and comparative perspectives across regional and religious contexts.