North Africa and Middle East

Egypt’s uprising in early 2011 was celebrated as a bona fide people’s revolution, the distinct presence of female protestors at Tahrir Square appeared to promise a reformed state with women’s rights and democratic values at the forefront. But not long after the fall of former President Mubarak, did the women see their hope of equal rights disintegrate.

In the aftermath of the wave of uprisings that took place across the Arab world in 2011, women were placed under the spotlight of post-revolution political discussion. During the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, the contribution of Arab women to the toppling of the Ben Ali and Mubarak regimes was both undeniable and admired.

Marginalized by both a patriarchal society and the narrow confines of Western feminist discourse, Muslim women around the world are developing their own form of activism.

Political authoritarianism has been constant feature in the Arab political systems, and despite the ongoing “Arab Spring,” there is a continuing tendency to prevent women from freely participating in political processes. Recently, a handful of Arab countries have consented to slightly alter their political systems so as to allow women and opposition groups to have a greater say on political issues.

Tensions are rising between secular Tunisian women and political Islam. "There is no room for the opposition and women to participate in building the country we want," says one critic.

Nineteen-year-old Tunisian feminist Amina Tyler wrote these words in Arabic across her breasts and stomach to defy growing Islamism in her country, and then posted topless pictures of herself on the Facebook page of the organization Femen Tunisia.

In the last 10 years, Morocco has witnessed two divergent trends relating to economic equality between women and men.

In the last 10 years, Morocco has witnessed two divergent trends relating to economic equality between women and men.