May 21, 2012 (Washington Post)
After Egyptian women stood shoulder to shoulder with men in the protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak, many looked forward to a role in the revolution's next steps. But 15 months later, as Egyptians prepare to vote for a new president this week, rights activists complain that women are being excluded from key decisions.
May 18, 2012 (Al Jazeera)
Buoyed by the winds of change sweeping the region, Libyan women are eyeing a far greater role for themselves after next month's national assembly elections. The June 19 poll - the first since the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi - will see the country electing 200 candidates to the body that will draft the country's constitution.
May 16, 2012 (UN News Centre)
The head of the United Nations entity mandated to promote gender equality today welcomed the increase in women's representation in Algeria's new parliament as a result of elections held last week, and stressed that it represented a step towards democratic reform and gender equality.
April 25, 2012 (Foreign Policy )
In "Distant View of a Minaret," the late and much-neglected Egyptian writer Alifa Rifaat begins her short story with a woman so unmoved by sex with her husband that as he focuses solely on his pleasure, she notices a spider web she must sweep off the ceiling and has time to ruminate on her husband's repeated refusal to prolong intercourse until she too climaxes, "as though purposely to deprive her."
April 24, 2012 (Open Democracy)
A veritable twitter storm has sprung up around an article by Mona el Tahawy in the latest issue of Foreign Policy, entitled Why Do They Hate Us ↑ ? In the article, El Tahawy documents and condemns the abuses meted out upon women throughout the Middle East. So far, so uncontroversial, you might think.
April 14, 2012 (Tunisia Live)
“Breaking the silence is the first step.”
“The whole issue blew up because of a really simple survey,” remembered Rebecca Chiao, co-founder of HarassMap Egypt, a non-profit organization that aims to battle sexual harassment.
April 13, 2012 (The Globe and Mail)
A year ago, women were front and centre in the Arab Spring uprisings – acting as advocates, smuggling ammunition to rebels, being beaten by police alongside men and caring for the wounded. But now they are in danger of being shunted aside by conservative male leaders such as the Muslim Brotherhood, who threaten to roll back the few rights women enjoy.
March 26, 2012 (Huffington Post)
As the Security Council last week voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN's political mission in Libya, its members expressed their deep concern about sexual violence in the country.
March 11, 2012 (Al Akhbar English)
The fielding of an all-women slate of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections could start a trend in a country where women remain grossly underrepresented in political life.
March 05, 2012 (Al Arabiya News )
Across the Middle East, countries are witnessing parliamentary changes under newly-installed governments which have been credited as a result of the Arab Spring.
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