Breadcrumbs Section. Click here to navigate to respective pages.
Chapter

Chapter
Feminist Movements in the Maghreb
DOI link for Feminist Movements in the Maghreb
Feminist Movements in the Maghreb book
Feminist Movements in the Maghreb
DOI link for Feminist Movements in the Maghreb
Feminist Movements in the Maghreb book
ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the history and evolution of feminist mobilizations in the Maghreb, first discussing the region as a whole, and then considering the differences across the three countries. It draws on the relevant secondary sources, the observations during visits to the region since 1990 and especially during 2013-2015, and interviews conducted with activists and academics from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. In Algeria, increasing state conservatism and the rise of Islamism forced women's organizations and feminist leaders to assume an assertive stance on women's rights, one that was also more independent of the state and often critical of it. Morocco's feminist organizations remain active and prominent, working within civil society and with progressive political parties to further women's rights and well-being. The global women’s rights agenda and the United Nations (UN) conferences created a favorable opportunity structure for the proliferation of feminist organizations and women-led non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Maghreb and for links with feminist groups elsewhere.