Egyptian Cyber Feminisms Within the Arab Spring: A Gateway to Transnational Democracy?

Abstract

Hosni addresses the cyber world as Arab feminists’ subcultural capital: it acts as a catalyst to the traversal of gender lines which are rigorously enforced in physical public spaces. Transnational democracy has become increasingly envisaged as a potential remedy to the differing flaws of “the national democratic project in a globalizing world.” Seen as a cross-border transformative experience, the Arab Spring is examined by the author as a “transnational movement,” which has thus imbued “transnational democracy” with a great contextual momentum. During the Arab Spring, women’s contributions to the uprising received mainstream attention. This focus encompassed Arab feminists pushing their claims to further extents and utilizing alternative resources in their drive for liberation. The chapter analyzes how Arab feminists have resorted to cyberspace as an alternative to physical public spaces.