Gender and Civil Society in the Middle East (original) (raw)

Women's Movements in the Middle East: Case Studies of Egypt and Turkey

Women's movements in the Middle East vary in terms of specific historical trajectories as well as current ideas and practices. Yet, they are similar in that they share several historical and political factors, such as their links to nationalist movements, their links to processes of modernization and development, and tensions between secular and religious tendencies. Specificities and differences can be found within overarching broad general themes, as becomes obvious in the context of two case studies-Egypt and Turkey – which are explored in this report. The analyses of the women's movements in Egypt and Turkey respectively entail a brief exploration of the historical context, i.e. the emergence and development of women's organizations and feminist thought. The discussion of the historical context sheds light on its continuing significance in terms of our understanding of present-day women's movements in the region. The fact that Turkey, unlike Egypt, has never been colonized is coupled with other historical factors that influence the current parameters of feminist discourses and activities. Kemalism and the specific ideology of Turkish nationalism employed by the Kemalist regime differs decisively from Nasserist and Arab nationalist ideologies associated with the Egyptian state. Yet, in both countries, as in many other parts of the region, women's organizations were co-opted within the general strive for modernization and development. The contemporary context involves a discussion of the specific national political topography, which provides the backdrop to present-day feminist activism. In addition to questions pertaining to political economy, state-society relations, party politics, and legislation, the question of international affiliations and relations is also taken into account. The Egyptian women's movement is particularly influenced by the state's ambiguous role towards women's organizations, the growth of civil society and its severe restrictions (Law 32), the role of the international arena, particularly donor organizations, as well the increasing influence of Islamist constituencies. In the Turkish case, the women's movement has been able to work much more closely through the existing state structures and institutions, particularly the municipalities. The polarization between Islamist and secular constituencies, struggles for democratization and institutionalization of feminist activities, as well as debates about the Kemalist legacy, appear to particularly impact the Turkish women's movement. The comparison between the two case studies suggests that despite differing historical and political contexts, women's movements in both countries have in recent years challenged prevailing notions of political culture and institutions. By looking at the broader picture and also considering feminist activism in other parts of the region, it becomes evident that women's movements in the Middle East are potential agents of democratization processes, yet they are extremely constrained by prevailing social and political structures, lack of clear institutional targets and ambiguous state policies. 2

The politics of women-focused activism, academia and the state in Middle East and North Africa

Contemporary Levant, 2016

Prof. Zahia Smail-Salhi, Professor of Modern Arabic Studies has researched and taught in the field of Arabic Studies for many years. Her publications 1 show the depth and breadth of her research interests: literature, women's feminist movements, the politics of gender based violence and the dynamics of activism in the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region. Zahia has a crucial role in various cross-border academic networks and projects which facilitate new research on the politics of women and gender in MENA. This article is a transcription of a conversation between Zahia Smail-Salhi and me on the emerging trends and developments in women-focused activism. Here, we explore activism inside and outside academia; the politics of feminism in MENA state discourses; the changing terms of reference for gender; the diverse locations and solidarities of women-focused political engagements. Ruth Abou Rached: Thank you very much Professor Zahia Smail-Salhi for taking the time to talk with us at Contemporary Levant today. Drawing on your experience, what important changes, trends and developments in Women and Gender-focused activism and research are taking place in the MENA region at this time? Zahia Smail-Salhi: I'd like to start with two points. The first point concerns the huge diversity of MENA. The MENA region stretches all the way from Morocco to the Gulf. Issues facing women in Morocco are different from issues facing women in Saudi Arabia or in Egypt, etc. But overall I think we're living through interesting times … in fact the biggest challenge for every scholar is to keep up with the changes taking place across the region. The second important point is that the changes and high visibility of women-focused activism did not start post Arab Spring. MENA women have always engaged in politics and research from perspectives of women and gender, since before the last MENA countries got independence from colonial rule in the 1960s. To understand changes taking place in women-focused activism in MENA, we need to understand the recent histories of women-focused activism in the region. After the era of state-sponsored feminisms, women academics and activists have moved into grassroots and localized activism by working with women in need directly. I can refer to the example of Algeria, where shelters, such as the SOS, Femmes en détresse (Women in Distress) for homeless women have been established by local activists. From these local direct interventions, we see now it's the activists who take the lead in localized women-focused changes in different regions and the academics who reach out to the activists to obtain an up-to-date picture of the latest and actual changes in society.

Feminist mobilizations' impact on women's rights: A short history of Arab feminism

In 2011, the so called Arab Spring has shaken many Arab and Muslim countries. Men and women occupied the streets, claiming for more social and economical justice and questioning the countries' leader's legitimacy. Among these claims, women tried as well to have themselves heard, asking for more equality with men. Through history, feminist movement has fought for women's rights and freedom. Feminism can be defined as a movement fighting for equality in term of rights, between men and women. “[It] is both an ideology – a set of beliefs and values about women and gender relations – and a social-political movement for social changed” . We can situate the first feminist movements during the French Revolution time (1789), when women participated to the uprising and organized themselves in club to discuss their issues and claim for their rights (mostly education, divorce and being as much as men, part of the occurring changes that the Revolution seemed to promise). Feminist movements' claims evolved with time from the right for education, voting and working, through abortion, sexual freedom and independence from men, to salary equality, rape culture and sexual harassment denunciation. However, if the fight for gender equality seems to gather all the feminists movement, we saw during the past few decades the inter-sectionalism concept rising. The main idea underlying this concept is that there is no one and only definition of feminism and feminists fights. Feminism is as plural as women are. It started with Afro-feminist movement denouncing the western-white centered hegemony in feminists movements and its non-universalism. Indeed, women faces different issues depending on their social class, sexual orientation, their physical condition, and/or race. Moreover feminism struggles depends also on the contexts. In this way, women from the so-called Arab world “are often perceived as oppressed by western feminists without consideration for the differing and diverse set of challenges that Muslim women face in their countries” .

Women's movement in the Middle East .pdf

A study of twentieth century feminist strategies that emerged in response to the patriarchal and repressive social and political institutions in present day Iran

Women and Revolutionary Turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa

2015

The recent revolutionary movements in the Middle East and North Africa have presented a unique opportunity for women to exert their influence in shaping the future of women's rights. Specifically, the question arises as to whether social movements help women fight patriarchal structures in the Middle East. This paper has chosen the Green Movement in Iran as a focal point, using the rise of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Tunisia as a point of comparison. An extensive literature review was conducted to provide the historical context as well as an analysis of the rise of social movements. Using a transnational feminist lens, both cases were analyzed and it was found that neither the Arab Spring nor the Green Movement in Iran were able to facilitate the improvement of women's rights. This was mainly found to be due to the traditional and patriarchal structures, and it is argued that for women to gain freedom and empowerment, Islam must be detached from the legal system. While the ...

Women's Movements in Post- " Arab Spring " North Africa Edited by Fatima Sadiqi

"This volume is a must read for anyone in search of a greater understanding of gender issues in North Africa since the Arab uprisings. It offers a theoretically nuanced and highly informative study of how women's movements operate in countries as diverse as Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Sudan. Combining academic and activist perspectives, and highlighting the variety of women's experiences, the authors present rich evidence and incisive analyses. The volume makes a unique contribution to the scholarly literature on women's movements in the region." - Mounira M. Charrad, Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin, USA, and author of the award-winning book, States and Women's Rights: The Making of Postcolonial Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco

The ‘NGOization’ of the Arab Women’s Movements

Al-Raida Journal, 1970

One of the dominant trends in the evolution of the Arab women’s movements is the ongoing increase in the number of women’s NGOs dealing with aspects of women’s lives such as health, education, legal literacy, income generation, advocacy of rights, research, and so on. This steady increase in Arab women’s NGOs can be seen as a sign of decentralization of power and politics after the failure of the centralized Arab states to bring about social change and development. It is also widely viewed as a development of Arab ‘civil society’ to contain the authoritarian state, and as a healthy sign of real democracy in the region based on a ‘bottom-up’ approach.