Arab Women in Revolution: Reports from the Ground Archives

Egypt’s Women Keep Showing Power in Protest

By Jessica Gray ● Uncategorized ● May 11, 2012

Egypt’s revolution is now often described as hijacked and women’s legal rights are seen as vulnerable to an Islamic-style promotion of marriage and family. But in a show of their own force, women keep braving the deadly dangers of street protests.

Egyptian Upholds Sex-War View of Revolution

By Hajer Naili ● Politics ● May 2, 2012

After stirring an outcry for her article in Foreign Policy magazine, Egyptian-American columnist Mona Eltahawy on Tuesday night offered a vigorous defense of her views that the real Middle East revolution is yet to come, between men and women.

Young Moroccans Keep Arab-Spring Spirit Alive

By Juhie Bhatia ● Employment ● April 24, 2012

The youth-led Feb. 20 Movement in Morocco has simmered down to a core group that includes many female activists. They’re keeping an eye on constitutional reforms enacted last year that some say didn’t go far enough. “We want real, radical change,” says one.

Iraq’s Refugees in Jordan Live in Desperate Limbo

By Samia Qumri ● Politics ● April 18, 2012

Iraqi refugee women in Jordan offer an example of hope and resilience. But their desperate limbo is heartbreaking for Samia Qumri to witness in her work for the Collateral Repair Project, a charity started in 2004.

Videos: Outrage, Protest Follow 16-Year-Old Moroccan’s Suicide

By Juhie Bhatia ● Crime & Law ● March 19, 2012

Many activists in Morocco are outraged and protesting the laws that led to the suicide of a 16-year-old near Tangiers, who was forced to marry her rapist. Juhie Bhatia, Women’s eNews managing editor, was in Morocco for reaction.

Human Rights Groups Blur Issues of Women Rights

By Meredith Tax ● Politics ● February 28, 2012

Women’s rights groups are criticizing Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, for neglecting women’s rights violations in an apparent rush to defend political Islam.

Arab Women’s Forum Presents Revolution ‘Lite’

By Paola Salwan Daher ● Arts & Culture ● February 9, 2012

It was billed as a forum on Arab women and the Arab Spring. But Paola Daher found that the $300 entry free and luxury-hotel ambiance ensured that any truly revolutionary, or even slightly controversial, topics were kept off the agenda.

Egypt’s Feminist Union Undergoing Reincarnation

By Jessica Gray ● Commentary ● January 29, 2012

The venerable Egyptian women’s rights advocacy, the Egyptian Feminist Union, is coming back to life amid a flowering of civil-society groups. But the road ahead isn’t clear for a long-dormant organization that operated under British colonial rule.

Arabic Twitter Stars Come Face-to-Face in Cairo

By Courtney C. Radsch ● Arts & Culture ● January 25, 2012

After a year of courageous digital leadership, female activists from the Middle East and North Africa–some of them Twitter superstars–met in Cairo last week. It was a chance to meet face-to-face, savor revolutionary success and weigh setbacks.

In the New Tunisia, Women’s Rights Are in Play

By Barbara Crossette ● Politics ● November 4, 2011

Women’s rights have long been considered a development keystone. Tunisian women–in the vanguard of the Arab world–will put that theory to a crucial test as the country’s new democracy takes shape following last week’s elections.