The uprisings sweeping the Arab world haven't only toppled dictatorships. Gone, too, are the old stereotypes of Arab women as passive, voiceless victims. Over the past few months, the world has seen them marching in Tunisia, shouting slogans in Bahrain and Yemen, braving tear gas in Egypt, and blogging and strategizing in cyberspace. Egyptian activist Asmaa Mahfouz, 26, became known as "The Leader of the Revolution" after she posted an online video call to arms, telling young people to get out onto the streets and demand justice.
In Libya, women lawyers were among the earliest anti-Qaddafi organizers in the revolutionary stronghold of Benghazi. Arabs were bemused that the Western media was shocked — shocked! — to find women protesting alongside men. "There was this sense of surprise, that 'Oh, my god, women are actually participating!' notes Egyptian activist Hadil El-Khouly. "But of course women were there, in Tahrir Square. I was there, because I'm Egyptian. Everyone was there. You really felt we were all one."
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2059435,00.html#ixzz1Gwj57TRp
For more information, please visit Time.
The uprisings sweeping the Arab world haven't only toppled dictatorships. Gone, too, are the old stereotypes of Arab women as passive, voiceless victims. Over the past few months, the world has seen them marching in Tunisia, shouting slogans in Bahrain and Yemen, braving tear gas in Egypt, and blogging and strategizing in cyberspace. Egyptian activist Asmaa Mahfouz, 26, became known as "The Leader of the Revolution" after she posted an online video call to arms, telling young people to get out onto the streets and demand justice.
In Libya, women lawyers were among the earliest anti-Qaddafi organizers in the revolutionary stronghold of Benghazi. Arabs were bemused that the Western media was shocked — shocked! — to find women protesting alongside men. "There was this sense of surprise, that 'Oh, my god, women are actually participating!' notes Egyptian activist Hadil El-Khouly. "But of course women were there, in Tahrir Square. I was there, because I'm Egyptian. Everyone was there. You really felt we were all one."
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2059435,00.html#ixzz1Gwj57TRp
For more information, please visit Time.