Vol. 8, Iss. 1, 2014

Complete issue as PDF

Arab Women’s Changing Identities, Activisms and Resistances in a Changing Region

10 May 2014

Arab Women’s Changing Identities, Activisms and Resistances in a Changing Region
Sahar Khamis Editorial The wave of uprisings which swept the Arab world in 2011 did not just instigate a "political awakening" that has shaken the power structures in a number of Arab countries and resulted in dictators fleeing their countries, resigning from office, or facing brutal death. Rather, it also instigated a "social awakening" that has shaken Arab societies' commonly held assumptions about gender roles and women's ability…

Editorial

Gendering the February 20th Movement: Moroccan Women Redefining: Boundaries, Identities and Resistances

10 May 2014

Gendering the February 20th Movement: Moroccan Women Redefining: Boundaries, Identities and Resistances
Houda Abadi Article The Arab Spring opened up social and political spaces for women to make demands for gender quality, political and social reform, human rights, and equality. It has produced, changed and reinvigorated contestations around space, citizenship, femininity, religion, and sense of belonging, as women played an increasingly significant role in the revolutionary processes and developments in the region. This article will analyze the online and offline…

Article

Sowing the Seeds of The Message: Islamist Women Activists Before, During, and After the Egyptian Revolution

10 May 2014

Sowing the Seeds of The Message: Islamist Women Activists Before, During, and After the Egyptian Revolution
Mona Abdel-Fadil Article This article focuses on the activities and experiences of a group of Islamist women activists, socialized within the ranks of Islam Online Arabic (IOL). These activists engaged in a range of significant social, political, and media practices, before, during and after the ousting of Mubarak; as individuals, as journalists, as counsellors, as agenda setters and creators of media campaigns. Drawing on longitudinal and ethnographic research,…

Article

The Saudi Blogosphere: Implications of New Media Technology and the Emergence of Saudi-Islamic Feminism

10 May 2014

The Saudi Blogosphere: Implications of New Media Technology and the Emergence of Saudi-Islamic Feminism
Philip Tschirhart Article The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia serves as a protector of the social, cultural, and religious epicenters of the Islamic faith; Mecca and Medina. While other Islamic autocracies have fallen in the wake of the Arab Spring, Saudi Arabia and its religious and political elite remain. However, threats to their legitimacy are growing. Especially relevant are increasing calls for women’s rights. The Saudi Arabian public sphere…

Article

Women and Media: Libyan Female Journalists from Gaddafi Media to Post- revolution: Case Study

10 May 2014

Women and Media: Libyan Female Journalists from Gaddafi Media to Post- revolution: Case Study
Fatima El Issawi Article This article examines the representation of women in Libyan national traditional media before, during and after the February 2011 revolution that led to the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime. What roles did female journalists assume within national traditional newsrooms and how did these roles evolve from activism in the defense of women’s causes and the official revolutionary ideals of the former regime to spreading the…

Article

“My Life is More Important Than Family Honor:” Offline Protests, Counter-Cyberactivism, and Article 308

10 May 2014

“My Life is More Important Than Family Honor:” Offline Protests, Counter-Cyberactivism, and Article 308
Sarah A. Tobin Article In summer 2012, protests erupted in Jordan in light of several high-profile enactments of Article 308 of the Penal Code, or “Rape Law,” that allows rape charges to be dropped if the perpetrator agrees to marry the victim, which were organized offline and aimed to create a groundswell of public support for changing gender inequities in society rather than political and legal structures. Users of…

Article

Social Media As an Opportunity to Bahraini Women

10 May 2014

Social Media As an Opportunity to Bahraini Women
Nada Alwadi Comment Since the uprising in February 2011 the Bahraini female activists but also ordinary Bahraini women have emerged as new leaders in the society, and this due to the increasing role of social media. Their ideas, voices and activities have been receiving stronger support from within their - often conservative - communities. It is now more accepted by the public that the democratic transition cannot be…

Comment