Gender, protest and political transition in the Middle East and North Africa

Nadje Al-Ali and Nicola Pratt

Chapter 18 in Handbook on Gender in World Politics, 2026, pp 110-115 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The chapter examines the gendered dimensions of political transformations following the 2010–2011 uprisings in the region. While media narratives have often portrayed women as either revolutionary heroines or victims of backlash, the chapter highlights a more nuanced reality. Women played significant roles in protests, political transitions and civil society, with notable progress in Tunisia, where legal reforms advanced gender equality. However, in conflict-ridden states like Libya, Syria and Yemen, women's activism was marginalized, and they faced heightened violence and repression. In Egypt, despite constitutional guarantees, women's political representation remains limited under the Sisi regime. The chapter also discusses the historical context of women's rights activism in the region, emphasizing the challenges posed by authoritarian state feminism and the need for independent feminist movements. Additionally, it explores how women's bodies have been sites of political contestation, with sexual violence used as a tool of repression. Despite setbacks, women and youth-led movements continue to challenge patriarchal norms, resist gender-based violence, and push for intersectional approaches to activism, integrating gender struggles with broader demands for democracy and human rights.

Keywords: Activism; Conflict; Political Representation; Women's Rights; Feminist Movements; Sexual Violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803923765
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781803923772.00024 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:21594_18

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jack Sweeney ().