The Arab Feminist

Ep 4 - Concluding Thoughts

Coming into this project, my goal was to mould my final perspective on what kind of feminism should exist in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa based on the experiences of the women I spoke to. So for this final concluding episode, I wanted to summarize my takeaways from this experience in relation to what I have studied to date.

Ep 3 - An Arab Woman’s Choice, Feminism and the Universal Movement

In the first episode of the podcast, we discussed how the two opposing nodes of feminism in Arab societies often present a difficult choice for Arab women. They are forced to reconcile the kind of feminist they are with the kind of feminist are they expected to be and this can often alienate them from the feminist movement altogether. In episode 2, we learned how a solution to this may simply be to leave out the judgement on women’s decisions and give them the freedom to choose. So in this concluding episode, inspired by the works of Saba Mahmood, Ziba Mir-Hosseini and Sheryl Sanberg, we attempt to unite those conclusions to answer the questions we set out with. What should an Arab feminism represent? Can it unite the universal movement and the local culture? Is there one “global” feminism? And what do the perspectives of the women on the ground teach us about what they need in terms of a feminist movement? I am honoured to share this space with Mona Ghoneim, a direct sales consultant working for a global insurance company based in Alexandria, Egypt.

Ep 2 - Veiling as a Metaphor for the Larger Feminist Debate

In this episode, we will be exploring the phenomenon of veiling as a metaphor for the feminist debate we began in the last episode. Although the veil or the niqab isn’t as common today, the wearing of the hijab is quite similar in principle and therefore we will be considering them interchangeably for the sake of placing this discussion in a modern context. Drawing from historical texts written by Zachs and Halevi, Saba Mahmood and Leila Ahmed, this episode will explore the way in which veiling is interpreted by the Western, secularist and Islamist feminist movements as well as the reasons for which Arab women choose to veil or not veil today. By the end of our discussion, we hope to have consolidated the need for a more located perspective of feminism that accounts for the Islamic culture and traditions. I am honoured to share this space with Mais Shalabi, a biomedical engineer working in the medical devices industry in Dubai.

Ep 1 - Universalism, Secularism and Islamism: The Three Feminisms of the Arab World

In this episode, we will be diving into the various representations of feminism that exist in our world today, from the West all the way across to the Middle East. Beginning with a brief overview of the most popular Western liberal conception of feminism, we discuss why this perspective may not necessarily align with the goals of the Arab women in modern society. Drawing inspiration from historical discourses by Lila Abu-Lughod, Zakia Salime and Valentine Moghadam, this episode will consider two specific interpretations of feminism in Islamic cultures to determine the benefits and downfalls of each. By the end of the episode, we hope to have gained slightly more insight about how to steer feminism in Arab societies today such that it inspires a culture of women empowerment. I am honoured to share this space with Sabile Haiti, a marketing professional currently working for an international health insurance provider based in Dubai.