ABSTRACT
The year 2011 was marked by a series of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), commonly known as the ‘Arab Spring’. The extent of this massive and simultaneous explosion of popular discontent throughout the region is attributed to a new generation of young Arabs who, interconnected through satellite TV channels and social media, share a sense of a common destiny (Lynch 2012: 8). These generational changes combined with the effects of a ‘youth bulge’, unequal access to economic opportunity, education challenges, hyperurbanization and corruption, to name a few factors, are the dynamics driving the Arab Spring (Cordesman 2011). The changing role of women in MENA societies is another aspect of the Arab Spring uprisings to consider. Indeed, women participated alongside men in the Arab Spring movements, entering what is considered to be a male sphere. The impact of these revolutionary movements on the status of women in society, however, proves problematic. Despite the prominent role of women in the protests, ultimately the political transformations may increase men’s domination of the public sphere. The Egyptian experience is illustrative of this paradox. The military council annulled the parliamentary compulsory quota of 64 women MPs in the Egyptian parliament introduced under the deposed President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak. Consequently, the number of women members of parliament (MPs) dropped to nine as a result of the 2011–12 elections. Similarly in Iraq, the transitional phase to democracy increased the prevalence of gender inequality (Social Watch 2009). It is clear that the prodemocracy movements may not safeguard women’s rights but may instead reverse women’s empowerment reforms implemented under autocratic rulers.
