Background Document - Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy

A year later, women in the Arab Spring countries in transition are beginning to ask
why the benefits from the revolutions do not seem to be shared equally between men
and women. Why are few women represented in key decision making positions and institutions
across the countries in spite of women’s active participation alongside their
male counterparts during the revolutions and uprisings to end the reign of dictatorships?
Recently, the President of the Egyptian Feminist Union, Hoda Badran, stated that,
“Now that the dust of revolution has begun to settle as the Arab spring countries
begin their transition process towards democracy, women are finding themselves
marginalised and excluded from decision-making. The many disturbing incidents
that have occurred illustrate the extent to which, in spite of the new freedoms championed
by revolution, women are still considered as subordinate to men. In Tunisia
a mass protest called for all women to be veiled, which led to unveiled female professors
of religion being hounded off campuses. Mobs shouted at Tunisian women
demonstrators to go back to the kitchen “where they belong”. In Egypt, too, conservative
thinking is on the rise and voices are growing louder in support of policies that
would represent a backward step for women. A good example of this are the reforms
being made to family legislation.” 1
The words of Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni journalist and first Arab woman to receive
the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 aptly capture the reason for hope and expectations
for change for women in Arab Spring countries, namely Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen
and Syria and in other Arab countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Bahrain, Sudan, Saudi
Arabia. In her speech at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, she stated that,
“Millions of Yemeni women and men, children, young and old took to the streets
in eighteen provinces demanding their right to freedom, justice and dignity, using
non-violent but effective means to achieve their demands. I see the great number of
Arab women, without whose hard struggles and quest to win their rights in a society
dominated by the supremacy of men I wouldn’t be here. This supremacy has caused
a lot of injustice to both men and women. To all those women, whom history and the
severity of ruling systems have made unseen, to all women who made sacrifices for
the sake of a healthy society with just relationships between women and men, to all
those women who are still stumbling on the path of freedom in countries with no social
justice or equal opportunities, to all of them I say: thank you ... this day wouldn’t
have come true without you.” 2
BATTLES FOR RECOGNITION AND PARTICIPATION
Most transitions towards democratic changes are motivated by expectations for greater
social equity, improved political participation and representation in making decisions
that impact on societies and the lives of many women and men. Yet around the
world, women have found that, “participation is one thing and recognition and voice
is another”.
In past and present transitional processes, women’s meaningful participation can
be illustrated by an analogy of a journey, which is best captured by expressions such
as, “still have a long way to go”. As women’s participation in revolutionary transitions
is evident, their demands for inclusion continue to rise. For example in Egypt, Dr.
Omaima Kamel, a member of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting Egypt’s
1 Article by Hoda Badran, The Arab Spring is looking like a great leap backwards for women,
Summer 2012
2 http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2011/karman-lecture_en.html
WOMEN IN POLITICS DANISH INSTITUTE FOR PARTIES AND DEMOCRACY PAGE 39