March against Proposed Protest Law, Egypt 2013, © Mosa’ab Elshamy, all rights reserved.
In January 2013, the MEC received a major research grant from Oxfam GB to conduct research on ‘Women's Political Participation across the Arab region: Mapping of existing and new emerging forces in the region’. Beginning in February 2013, the project covered five countries: Egypt, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territories, Tunisia and Yemen.
The aim of this research was to provide a comprehensive understanding of how recent developments in the Arab region have altered the political context through mapping the new landscape in the region and examining the influence of these changes on the concept and practice of women’s rights and participation in politics.
Through the study of five different countries, this research sought to gain a deep understanding and analysis of the process of change and its complexity in each of them, reflecting on the actual experiences of different political players during the transition period, especially the performance of women’s organisations and coalitions in relation to national, regional and international agencies.
In addition to the publications below, the findings of this research were also presented in several conferences and seminars in British and European universities.
Publications
Aitemad Muhanna-Matar, 'Mapping the Forms of Women’s Activism and Leadership in Post-Uprising Arab Countries' in Anna Maria Di Tolla and Ersilia Francesca (eds), Emerging Actors in Post-Revolutionary North Africa: Gender Mobility and Social Activism, Nuova Serie, Volumi XIV-XV (Napoli: Studi Magrebini, 2016).
Aitemad Muhanna-Matar, 'Islamic and Secular Women’s Activism and Discourses in Post-Uprising Tunisia' in Maha El Said, Lena Meari and Nicola Pratt (eds), Rethinking Gender in Revolutions and Resistance: Lessons from the Arab World (London: Zed Press, 2015).
Aitemad Muhanna-Matar, 'New Trends of Women’s Activism after the Arab Uprisings: Redefining Women's Leadership', LSE Middle East Centre Paper Series 5 (November 2014).
Research Team
Aitemad Muhanna-Matar | Principal Investigator
Aitemad is Assistant Professorial Research Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre.
Egypt Team
Amal Hamada | Local Researcher
Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University.
Yemen Team
Warmeedh Shakir | Local Researcher
Etar Foundation for Social Development.
oPt Team
Maisa Shquir | Local Researcher
Filastiniyat (Palestinian Advocacy NGO in Ramallah).
Morocco Team
Hanane Darhour | Local Researcher
Centre des Droits des Gens / Maroc.
Tunisia Team
Aitemad Muhanna-Matar | Local Researcher
Association Femmes Tunisiennes.