Mediterranean Women's Rights in the Aftermath of the ‘Arab Uprisings’

An international conference took place on June 21, 22 and 23 in Fez, Morocco, about

Women’s rights in Mediterranean countries in the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings. Local authorities, students, activists and intellectuals listened to Fatima Sadiqi, the director, who underlined the discrepancy between the spectacular presence of women of all ages, ideologies, ethnicities and social statuses during the political mobilization phases of the uprisings and their quasi absence in the governments that were formed in the aftermath of the uprisings.

Speakers came from more than 17 countries from the Mena region, as well as from Europe, Canada and the US, representing the academic, the diplomatic, the political and the NGO sectors. The conference also featured young people (men and women) who actually participated in the uprisings.

The following themes were discussed:

1. Equality of sexes in the new constitutions
2. Feminist discourses in the region (secular/liberal and Islamic feminisms)
3. Feminine and feminist activisms
4. Women’s political participation in the eve of the Arab uprisings
5. Women and economic empowerment
6. Women and cultural Rights
7. Rural Women
8. Women’s rights and public/individual freedoms
9. Women and transnational networking

Final policy recommendations were found to be:

1. Protecting women’s rights in the MENA region;
2. Adopting a global approach to the political, civil, social, economic and cultural rights of women;
3. Safeguarding the implementation of those constitutions which guarantee gender equality;
4. Involving schools and media in the promotion of awareness and in the education of women and men;
5. Engaging the civil society in the elaboration and implementation of public policies;
6. 
   Encouraging the dialogue between feminist movements in the Mediterranean region while taking into consideration the reality of each country.