Transformative Feminist Mobilization in the Arab Region: A Decade of Activism

Transformative Feminist Mobilization in the Arab Region aims to identify how intersectional feminist civil society groups in selected countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)/ Southwest Asia and North Africa SWANA region advocate for change and how they interact with governments and the strategies, tools, and skills they utilize. It assesses their identification of success and failure, the factors in their advocacy campaigns, and their relationship with governments.

The book addresses a gap in knowledge production on how civic engagement and social mobilization can promote accountable governance in fragile and transition contexts. The following questions are raised concerning the advocacy strategies of feminist civil society in the Arab world: To what extent are the strategies employed by intersectional feminists capable of influencing the public policy process? How can we determine the success or failure of these strategies in achieving better civic engagement and in gaining popular support for feminists’ advocacy goals? What type of dynamics is developed between the government and these feminist movements? What is the role of research in supporting a feminist form of civic engagement and new feminist social movements to build effective strategies toward more accountable governance? To answer these questions, this book analyzes feminist advocacy campaigns in the region from 2011 to the present day. Thematic case studies cover two countries each, while the broader geographical outreach of the selected campaign is also considered.

Transformative Feminist Mobilization in the Arab Region will appeal to scholars and researchers studying the dynamics behind the growing role of civil society in the Arab region. It will interest those studying feminism, political science, social movements, and the MENA/ SWANA region more generally.

Tania N. Haddad is Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Non- profit Management at the American University of Beirut (AUB). She is widely recognized for her expertise in civil society, non- profit management, volunteering, and citizenship studies, particularly within the Arab world and the Global South. Dr. Haddad’s research spans critical areas such as civil society, social justice, non- profit governance, citizenship, disaster management, and e- government, providing valuable insights into the role of non- profit organizations in promoting community resilience, and active citizenship in these regions. Dr. Haddad has also developed professional curricula focused on leadership in the public sector, the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, political acumen, and public policy, all of which aim to promote effective governance.

Lina Abou- Habib is the Director of the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the AUB. Abou- Habib is a feminist activist and researcher with a long career working with local, regional, and international institutions on gender mainstreaming and feminist activism. She has designed, implemented, and led multi- year gender equality initiatives including training, research, and community actions. She currently serves on the boards of the Urgent Action Fund and is the Chair of the Doria Feminist Fund and is a member of the editorial committee of the Gender and Development Journal. She served previously as secretary and Chair of the board of Association for Women's Rights in Development.

Tracy Sakr holds a BA in Political and Administrative Sciences and an MA in Public Administration. As a senior research assistant at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, Tracy’s work focuses on civil society, disaster response and governance, in the Arab region. Recent publications include co- authoring the paper: “Interorganizational Relation in Disaster Response in Developing Contexts: Assessing Response to the Beirut Explosion,” published in the Public Organization Review (2022).