Alternative Egyptian feminist journalism: the case of Wlaha Wogoh Okhra

Abstract

This paper deals with the development of Egyptian feminist media in relation to the 2011 Revolution. The study is limited, however, to a discussion of one form of feminist alternative media as represented by the Egyptian online platform Wlaha Wogoh Okhra launched in March 2013. This study seeks to answer a two-fold central question: How does Wlaha Wogoh Okhra express a feminist position, and how does it present an extension of Egyptian feminist journalism? In an attempt to answer this question, the paper is divided, in addition to the introduction and conclusion, into four main parts dealing with feminism, feminist journalism, as well as offering a description and content analysis of Wlaha Wogoh Okhra as an example of Egyptian feminist journalism. The paper is structured around an overview of the history of Egyptian women’s journalism, followed by an analysis of Wlaha Wogoh Okhra as a case-study. The paper argues that, as a feminist magazine, Wlaha Wogoh Okhra marks a stage in the history of Egyptian feminist journalism, which, through its feminist content and innovative form, emerges as an alternative model that not only establishes a feminist journalistic continuum, but also creates indirect alliances among women across time and place.