No Arab Spring without women

[G_j]

http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2012/01/25/190506.html

No Arab Spring without women
By Najat Al-Saeid

Wednesday, 25 January 2012

Under the banner of “No Spring without Women,” a Lebanese feminist organisation has organized a march in Beirut, as part of the 5th New Arab Woman Forum. The slogan of the march is “Sawa Sawa”, which in this context means “Let’s walk together, let’s make it together”, calling for a Spring that includes both men and women. Before getting the invitation to this march, my mind was already preoccupied with the future of Arab women after the revolutions and how women’s status might be impacted in each of the Arab countries. My concern is: can there be Arab union or organisation to sustain Arab women’s status in the post-revolution era?

Women in the Arab world have suffered in the revolutions, but the question now is, what will the outcome of all this suffering and sacrifice be? To date, the revolutions have not resulted in any improvement in women’s status. In Egypt, there are now voices saying that women should leave the revolution to men, and during a demonstration on International Women’s Day in March, men jeered at the women marching, telling them to go home and feed their babies.

On Dec. 21, 2011, women marched from Tahrir Square through the city, outraged by the image of a young woman kicked by troops and dragged along the ground. What’s more, there are no women on the committee that has been tasked with drafting the new constitution, though many are qualified to be. Since the revolution, the women’s quota in parliament has been abolished, which means there will be fewer women and their presence will barely make a difference.

Tunisian women have not suffered from the same abuses, but their legal position has not changed since the revolution. Tunisian women are trying to preserve their rights instead of winning new ones. One large party only, the Democratic Modernist Pole, has promised to install a woman as its leader.


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[Warpy]

1. Women have been on the front lines of every struggle

but once the old regime is toppled, women are the ones first excluded from the new, as though we represent an uncontrollable element that might threaten the power of the precious males who are trying to grab it first.

A war against women usually follows the war against the old regime. It's one of those facts of history.

[RainDog]

4. yep n/t

[G_j]

5. sadly true

and tragic for all.

[riverwalker]

2. someday

figuratively, not literally, of course. Love and kisses ~ Beatrix Kiddo

[David__77]

3. It's salafi spring...

They can manage that with women kept out of sight.