1. Women in the Everyday Life
Theme 2: Relationships (Marriages)

2. Stereotypes
When it comes to the issue of marriages, there are plenty of stereotypes that characterize both cultures
To be clear, both regions are diverse, representing a mixed array of cultures BUT we are choosing to just focus on general characteristics

3. Stereotypes: Middle Eastern Culture
Forced/Arranged Marriages
Child Marriages
Under-aged Marriages

4. Stereotypes: European Culture
Women have complete autonomy in choosing who they marry

5. Reality
Stereotypes exist because they may be true in some BUT not ALL cases
What is common across cultures is that in the search for relationships, what women are looking for are love and companionship
We should go beyond stereotypes and understand that are are MANY reasons that affect the choices that women make

6. Singapore
Described as the most Western Asian city

7. Strong influences of Eastern and Western values
Existence of liberals and conservatives who face little opposition in living their lives according to their values, when it comes to marriages
The case of Singapore is an illustration of the fact that there are many factors that affect the way in which women lead their lives