Between Tradition and Revolt

Women played an extremely important role in the Arab Spring. They organised protests against archaic regimes, worked as political bloggers or supported the demands for more political freedom and social justice as part of civil society. After multiple attempts at intimidation and even the use of force, women activists were on the streets of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya or Morocco during the revolutions.

Today, women in most Arab countries have to vehemently defend their accomplishments and rights in the face of the authoritarian or Islamist rollbacks. Conservative forces block urgently needed reforms to family law or strive to impose even more restrictions on women. In many countries there is no adequate legal framework to combat the widespread violence against women. Activists are watching the growing influence of Islamist (violent) actors, such as in Libya, with great concern. 

At the same time, Arab feminists are opposed to simply adopting concepts of western feminism and criticise the "harem ideas" of the West about the status of women in Islam. In fact, there are different kinds of feminism that have been developed by women and men in very different historical and cultural contexts.

In this panel discussion, filmmakers, feminists and experts from the region and Germany will discuss the political and social realities of women in North Africa and the Middle East with a focus on the following issues 

• To what extent are the women portrayed in the films representative of a gradual transformation of gender relations in Arab societies?

• How did the political upheavals impact the situation of women in Arab countries? Did the revolutions change how women perceive themselves?
• What are the challenges women's rights movements face in North Africa?
• Western feminism and Islamophobia: The widespread view of Muslim women as victims 
• How can international solidarity within women's movements be improved?

Discussants

• Cynthia Choucair, Producer and Director, Road2films; Member of Filmagency Beirut DC, Beirut
• Dr. Viola Shafik, Director and Curator, Berlin and Cairo
• Wafa Ben Haj Omar, Programm Coordinator, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Office Tunis

Moderation: Dr. Antonie Nord, Department Head Middle East and North Africa, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
 

Venue
Maschinenhaus in der Kulturbrauerei
Schönhauser Allee 36
10435 Berlin

This discussion event is part of the Arab Film Days organised by the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation entitled "Yallah: Brave Women in the Arab World ", films will showcase women in various Arab countries who are fighting for a better and independent life in spite of adverse circumstances.

Information
Birgit Arnhold
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
arnhold@boell.de