Five Questions About Arab Women’s Activism Five Years After the ‘Arab Spring’

摘要

TheArabworldwitnessedunprecedentedwavesofrevoltin2011,whichhavetakenthewholeworldbysurprise,andledtomanyunexpectedoutcomesandvaryingresults.Fiveyearsafterthiswaveofrevolt,itbecomesnecessarytoexamineitswidearrayofeffects,especiallyoncertaingroupswhoplayedasignificantroleinthemidstoftheseuprisings,suchasyouthandwomen.ThisarticleaddressesanumberofimportantpointspertainingtoArabwomenandtheirfuture,suchastheeffectoftheturbulentpoliticalenvironmentintheArabregiononArabwomen’smovementsandtheirabilitytoorganize;theimpactofviolationsofhumanrightsandthecurbingofmediafreedomonArabwomen’sonlineandofflineactivism;theimplicationsoftheprevailingenvironmentoffragmentationandpolarizationinmanypartsoftheArabworldonArabwomen’sactivism,bothofflineandonline;rethinkingthepotentialsandlimitationsof“cyberactivism”and“cyberfeminism”intermsofenhancingArabwomen’sempowerment,activism,andinclusion;aswellascomingupwithamoreinclusiveandcomprehensiveapproach,whichaccountsfordifferentcategoriesofArabwomen,whenrethinkingthenotionof“cyberfeminism.”