The Islamic institution of marriage is strictly defined by Islamic law and the patriarchal view. Marriage can only be arranged by a male guardian in most schools of Islam, with the Hanafi and the Shi'a as the exceptions. Women can only marry Muslim men, while Muslim men can marry Jews or Christians women as well. But women and men are equally important in the marriage, and women can keep property separate from their husbands.
Islamic culture discourages women's participation in "outside" work, but Islam still advocates education for women, mainly in "motherly" subjects like teaching or caretaking. Mainly men are supposed to be concerned in politics and economics, while women are expected to take a very minor role in those subjects.
Women also have certain other customs to follow in Islam.In accordance to Islamic law and as a spiritual symbol, all women must wear a hijab, or a concealing veil covering the entire body and most of the face. To further symbolize the differences between men and women, women are also segregated within mosques