Ever since the uprisings that swept the Arab world, the role of Arab women in political transformations received unprecedented media attention. The copious commentary, however, has yet to result in any serious study of the gender dynamics of political upheaval.
Rethinking Gender in Revolutions and Resistance is the first book to analyse the interplay between moments of sociopolitical transformation, emerging subjectivities and the different modes of women's agency in forging new gender norms in the Arab world. Written by scholars and activists from the countries affected, including Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, this is an important addition to Middle Eastern gender studies.
Industry Reviews
'Every contributor here has insights to offer. I found myself re-thinking again and again what women activists created in the wake of their historic acts of political resistance. What a valuable book!'
Cynthia Enloe, author of Seriously! Investigating Crashes and Crises as if Women Mattered
'Boldly challenging Orientalist and liberalist analyses of the Arab world, El Said, Meari, and Pratt, assemble a set of brilliant interventions.'
Suad Joseph, University of California, Davis
'Prescient and insightful... succeeds in unpicking unfounded generalisations concerning both the nature of the Arab Spring and of women's participation and resistance.'
Ruth Pearson, professor emeritus, University of Leeds
'This timely and exciting volume leaves no doubt that a gendered lens is key to understanding socio-political transformations in the Middle East.'
Nadje Al-Ali, SOAS University of London
'If you are interested in Palestinian resistance of Israeli sexual interrogation techniques and/or the post-revolutionary politics of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia and how they have placed the body and sexuality at center stage, this book offers fresh discussions of new approaches, debates and constructions that will help you appreciate the study of old and new forms of power and their complex relations. As its title suggests, this book is a must read for anyone interested in rethinking gender in revolution and resistance.'
Mervat F. Hatem, Howard University
'Complicating our understanding of the gendered genealogies and contours of resistance in the Arab world, Rethinking Gender in Revolutions and Resistance challenges dominant periodizations of revolutions in the region, mapping a new and persuasive historiography of deeply feminist concerns. An important and original contribution to transnational, postcolonial feminist scholarship.'
Chandra Talpade Mohanty, distinguished professor of women's and gender studies, Syracuse University, and author of Feminism Without Borders
