Short Abstract:

This panel examines how women’s rights and gender equality reforms have evolved in MENA over a decade since the Arab Spring. Papers exploring shifts in women’s well-being, inequality, and employment are welcome, focusing on the interplay of crisis and hope in shaping these outcomes.

Long Abstract:

It is more than a decade since the Arab Spring started in Tunisia and spread to five other MENA countries. These revolutions, which arose from significant economic inequality and unemployment as well as lack of political rights in the region, died out by 2012 and the hopes attached to them also faded. Not only women played a prominent role in the protests, advocating for better rights, there have been subsequent calls for reforms aimed at improving women's rights. Despite this, however, the newly formed political structures have not prioritized gender equality. Economic instability following the uprisings has also disproportionately affected women, who often face higher unemployment rates. In some regions, the rise of conservative movements has led to a backlash against women's rights.

This panel invites papers that consider whether the decade since the Arab Spring has seen an improvement in women’s well-being in the region. Country case study and regional cross-country analysis on the topic are welcome. In particular, we would like to consider whether there has been a decline in gender inequality.

The contributors to the panel will reflect on the theme of "Crisis and Hope" discussing how the promises of revolutions evolve amidst economic and political turmoil. With a focus on the long-term effect of the Arab Spring, the panel aims to examine whether women's rights and their lived experiences have advanced or regressed. Contributions will critically engage with the intersection of crisis and hope, particularly in how these dynamics affect gender equality and societal change.

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