ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the mere participation of women in revolutions does not necessarily lead to concrete gains from a gender perspective. The history of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region provides ample examples that testify to this. It describes how women participated in the Arab Spring; how, in many states, they were targeted for sexual crimes by the security apparatus and violently attacked by Islamist extremists and others; and how, more often than not, they have been excluded from the political and constitutional bodies created during the transitional periods. The chapter also argues that a transitional justice process should not focus only on measures that address the grave sexual violations that occurred in some of these countries. It focuses on targeting the systematic gender discrimination engrained in Arab legal systems. Historical examples illustrate that the political, economic and social changes brought about by revolutions in different regions of the world have presented women with unique opportunities.
