Laura Guercio

Women's Rights after the Arab Spring Laura Guercio

When protests erupted across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2011, the general view was that these events would bring forward the regeneration of democracy. They were also meant to represent the Spring of women's fight for freedom and equality. As time passed, it became clear that the process of social and political changes necessary to tackle female issues would be a long one. The "Thahiris" and their equivalents did not prevail and, in the absence, or weakness, of political institutions, Islamic parties emerged. The urgent issue then became how to reconcile the demands of women with the Islamic character of the new political establishments. This book discusses this issue through the analysis of the socio-political meanings of the constitutional reforms after the 2011 Arab Spring. It is inspired by the testimony of local women from the MENA area, who can be the makers of real social change.