Jordan takes lead in Muslim women's fight for equal rights

It was launched in autumn 2003 with a grand flourish. News of its opening was even aired internationally on CNN. Billed as the first ever women-only coffee shop in Jordan, the Sabaya Cafe was conceived as a place where Jordanian women of all ages could sip tea and relax, well away from the prying eyes and ears of men.

A sign hanging on its front door clearly stated that men were not welcome inside, where seven young waitresses served tea, sweets and light meals.

Yet by the time this reporter arrived in the capital Amman, 16 months later, the pioneering cafe had long since shuttered its doors. Scores of Jordanian women, from flight attendants to senior government figures, were asked about it. Virtually all had heard of the innovative cafe situated in one of Amman's more trendy districts, but none had felt the need or even the interest to visit the segregated Sabaya.

While the image that many outsiders have of Arabic women is one of black-clad, house-bound captives with downcast eyes, the women in Jordan not only look you in the eye, they drive cars, have careers, vote and run for office. And they are more likely to be dressed in brand-name blue jeans and trendy T-shirts than in veils.

Clearly, Adam Smith's capitalist rules remain relevant in Jordan: for a commercial service to succeed, there must be an actual need for it. The Sabaya, while well intentioned, apparently tried to fill a need that did not exist.

By almost any standard, Jordan is the most even-handed Arabic nation in the Middle East. Although a traditional Islamic society, its population of 5.7 million is both well-educated (literacy is over 91 per cent) and open-minded, ruled by a government that is idealistic and, for the most part, forward thinking.