Arab women’s feminism(s), resistance(s), and activism(s) within and beyond the “Arab Spring”

Abstract

This chapter focuses on some of the unique particularities of the complex phenomenon of “Arab feminism(s).” It shows how this complex phenomenon manifested itself in numerous ways and over several stages, which are reflective of Arab women’s authentic culture and beliefs as well as their complex political, social, and cultural realities. The chapter discusses how Arab women suffered from three layers of invisibility and participated in three types of struggles, and how their complex process of evolving “feminism(s)” was shaped over three consecutive phases. It draws on how Arab women’s feminism(s), activism(s) and resistance(s) cross-cut different boundaries, binaries, and dichotomies. The picture emerging from this discussion is that of a complex, rich, and eclectic phenomenon of multiple and parallel struggles, which have been orchestrated by Arab women in many forms and over several stages. Women were out on the streets shouting and chanting to end political repression and humiliation, while also shouting and screaming to end social discrimination, and degradation”.