Women's Rights After the Arab Spring

The Arab Spring swept through the Middle East starting in January. Ageless authoritarian rules were toppled one by one. Men and women participated in the same numbers and with the same risk. Now two of these countries, the first two, are moving to create their new governments and women want a part in it. On Human Rights Watch, Nadya Khalife gives her perspective on women's roles in Tunisia and Egypt and what they are doing now to try and make their freedoms a reality in their homes. In Tunisia, there have been some significant steps for women, including the diminishing of the CEDAW, which restricted women's rights. Now women are operatively equal in the family and state. As long as it follows Islam. Tunisia has set a national religion, Islam, and has committed that all rights must be align with Shari'a Law. Tunisia has not seen much in allowance for female leadership in the new government, but they are still trying. In Egypt, women were some of the major pushers for the revolution. It would seem obvious that they would get representation, but it doesn't seem so. Egyptian women have dealt with verbal, physical, and sexual abuse throughout the revolution and some people are even saying that it is not the 'right time' for women's rights and equality. Only one women is part of the interim government and she was a minister under Mubarak, giving her a bad reputation to start with. There seem to be some mixed results on the issue of women's rights in the Post-Arab Spring world.

The human rights violated are pretty straightforward. The right to self determination, the right to safety from violence, and the right to equality between men and women. Women are not being given the opportunity to make their own future and decisions in these new governments. Women also should not have to worry about being harmed by their fellow protestors while marching either.

I am happy that there has been some progress in women's rights in the Middle East. Tunisia is the first to give women equal parity. Tunisian and Egyptian women voted in their elections this year. Many of them for the first time. I worry that these improvements may diminish over time with the election of the new governments. In Egypt, there was an obvious Islamist majority elected. I am not saying that Islam is not compatible with feminism, it is, but Islamists by and large tend to be very conservative in their beliefs and will shut out women entirely if they can. I only hope that I am wrong and women can gain the seat they deserve in the new governments of Tunisia and Egypt. Many of these women are my age and hoping to see their futures in a better light. I can only hope they are lucky enough to see that day.

Do you think that increases in Women's Rights will come upon the heels of the Arab Spring? Do you think that there will be a definite struggle before women will receive equality? Is it not the 'right time' for women?