Feminism in the Arab world

By Katherine Tranter

Much has been said about the potential of  prospective democratic transitions following the Arab Spring to deliver advancements in upholding women’s rights. Nevertheless, some Islamists have asserted that as feminism is a Western construct it is inherently incompatible with Islam and would lead to family and social breakdown. Further it has been argued that the push for women’s rights in the Middle East is simply a Western-inspired attack on Islam. However, feminism has a long history in the Arab world, which reflects prevailing societal values.

In Egypt, there has been a long history of women involved in activism, including organising labour union strikes, protesting, and using their rights to free speech. Egyptian women played an active role in struggles in 1919 and 1952, albeit with limited gains in equality and justice. Nevertheless, the 1919 uprising created momentum for the women’s struggle and, as a result, the Egyptian Feminist Union (EFU) was founded in 1924. Although radical changes have never been achieved, in part due to persistent views about women’s role in society, Egyptian women have gained some political and social advances. The recent uprisings have further enhanced their confidence to campaign for equal rights.

However, the focus on the involvement of women in the recent uprisings by the Western media has been criticised by some high-profile Egyptian women, partly because the focus has been hijacked by the former regime. Prior to its ban in 1952, the EFU had been criticised for its links to the regime and accused of representing only a small elite.  Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal El Saadawi highlights the recent relaunch of the EFU after a decades-long ban as a sign that the military is merely giving the appearance of supporting women’s rights. The EFU’s recent calls for powerful women to run in the election have been perceived as a ploy to gain support for the regime.

In Tunisia, feminism has also historically been sponsored by the state. Advances in women’s rights – including equal citizenship rights, the abolition of polygamy, a ban on wearing the hijab in public buildings, and gaining the rights to work and open bank accounts without male permission – have all been implemented by the government, rather than domestic feminist pressure. The former Tunisian government permitted the establishment of women’s rights groups, albeit only those that did not challenge government policies. Independent women’s organisations were abolished, and replaced by groups supportive of the state. Nevertheless, the greater degree of gender equality in Tunisia than in other Arab states over the last 50 years indicates that calls for the recognition of women’s rights preceded the country’s recent uprisings.

Furthermore, the argument that women’s rights are incompatible with Islam has been rejected by some Muslim commentators. Iranian Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi recently argued that “if Islam is interpreted and applied correctly we can have totally egalitarian laws for women and strike punishments such as stoning and cutting hands from out of law books”. Retired professor and author Dr. Aftab Ahmad Khan similarly states that the Qur’an upholds gender equality and the status of women before the law, and argues that these teachings must take precedence over the traditional customs of many Muslim societies which deny women equal rights.

However, concerns remain over whether the Islamist parties that have recently taken, or appear set to take, power in both Tunisia and Egypt will ignore such arguments and continue to ignore women’s rights. There have been concerns raised in Egypt that women are only being included in the candidate lists of Islamic parties because of a requirement under the new constitution. Salafist party al-Nour’s poster of a female candidate displayed a rose instead of her face as she wears a niqab (full-face veil), and received much ridicule on social media websites. Many of the female candidates are also Islamists, and their commitment to upholding women’s rights is as yet unclear.

Although the outcomes of the Arab Spring for women’s rights have so far disappointed some feminists, women’s rights activists in both Egypt and Tunisia have shown a strong commitment to promote their interests and insist on being heard. The notion that feminism is incompatible with Arab societies is clearly contradicted by the actions of many women’s rights activists across the Arab world.