Across the Arab world, conversations about women's advancement have grown louder and more visible. Yet far less attention has been given to another side of the story of how men are experiencing this social shift.
Drawing on interviews, workshops and candid conversations across the Gulf States and wider Arab region, Amal Kooheji explores how men understand women's careers, leadership and independence. Many express admiration and pride, yet also carry inherited expectations about responsibility, identity and cultural norms that shape how they respond to a rapidly changing world.
This book does not seek to assign blame or deepen divides. Instead, it offers a thoughtful invitation to understanding. It encourages women to see the human complexity behind men's hesitations, while inviting men to reflect on how strength, partnership and identity can evolve alongside women's progress.
In her earlier co-authored book, Seen Yet Silent, Amal Kooheji explored the experiences of women navigating work, identity and social expectations in the Arab world. In this companion reflection, she turns the lens towards the men whose roles, pressures and inner conflicts are often left unspoken.
Behind His Silence is a compassionate exploration of the quiet tensions shaping relationships between men and women today, and a hopeful reflection on how both can move forward with empathy, balance and shared purpose.