Men’s Perception of Gender Roles in the Siwa Oasis, Egypt : Tradition and Gender Relations

This study investigated the impact of tourism development on a rural minority community, with a specific focus on gender relations. The study was conducted with the Siwan community, an ethnic minority group native to Siwa Oasis in the western desert of Egypt, where the inhabitants belong to Berbers, an ethnic minority indigenous to North Africa. The study sought to understand the impact of the government-initiated rural tourism development that aimed to bring economic and social benefits to the rural community by “opening to and interacting with the world”. Gender relations and dynamics are major elements that regulate the community’s social engagement. While gender in tourism is a major research agenda, the majority of studies so far have focused on women’s perspectives. In the context of rural MENA, social engagement is largely determined by men. Therefore, it was deemed necessary to uncover men’s perspectives to understand gender dynamics as a determining factor of social engagement within the community. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant observations with 18 male participants in Siwa Oasis during 2019. Analysis of data showed that tourism development in the Siwa Oasis has resulted some opportunities for both men and women to work and earn money for the community. Despite these changes, the men demonstrated a desire to protect fundamental features of traditional gender roles including, men being the primary income provider and the guardian of the family. The findings show a perceived shift in gender roles; however, such changes are limited due to the nature of public and private spaces in the community and Islamic tradition. The study suggests that for tourism to benefit the communities, policymakers and planners and developers should form an approach appropriate to the communities themselves.