الزين اللي فيك: علاش هاد البلبلة؟

يسبق خامس أفلام نبيل عيّوش الروائيّة صيته، وقد حُكم عليه بالرفض حتّى قبل أن يحاول المنتج توزيعه في المغرب أو أيّ دولة عربيّة أخرى. لا يريد المغربيّون الفيلم لأنّه “يخدش الحياء” ويمسّ بصورة المرأة المغربيّة ويروّج للدعارة كما يقولون على صفحات مواقع التواصل الإجتماعيّ، هم أنفسهم الذين يهرعون لتحميل مقاطع الفيلم الجنسيّة كي “يفضحوا” نيّة […]

العنف ضد النساء: المرأة ضحية مرتين

يضربها زوجها ويهددها وينعتها بأسوأ الصفات، وعندما تتخذ قرار الرحيل يعتذر منها ويدعي أن ما حدث مجرد لحظة غضب وتبقى هي عالقة في حلقة مفرغة ملؤها الحزن و الندم. لا شك وأن موضوع العنف ضد المرأة ليس بالأمر الجديد بتاتا،ً خاصة في مجتمعنا العربي الذي تطغى فيه السلطة المطلقة للذكور، ولكن دائماً نتردد في نقاش […]

Sexes Gap Multiple Roots in the MENA Region

My name is Fikir and I am currently working towards completing my degree in International Relations at the American University in Dubai. I then plan on continuing my Master’s degree at SOAS University in London before permanently settling in the MENA/Sub-Saharan region to pursue a career in community development of disadvantaged provinces. I grew up […]

Stereotypes about Women in the Middle East

I’ve always been fascinated by stereotypes in general, because we often group individuals together and make collective, controversial judgements about them, despite not knowing them.  There can be positive as well as negative stereotypes, and I believe that they are harmful to society because they oversimplify people’s qualities and create an inaccurate image of them, […]

My Hope for a Better Afghan Society

Feminism is a word taken for granted. It is used by people who do not even know its true meaning. One of my first ideas of the word came from my high school English teacher who said, “the difference between a feminist and a normal woman is if you open a door for a normal […]

Economics of Women: Marriage in Pakistan

You write about something for one of two things: either you are extremely passionate about the subject or when you strongly oppose an issue. I’m writing for the latter. The issue of giving dowry has been part of the marriage traditions for a long time. Started decades ago, this custom is being exploited in many […]

Women: An Inspiration

As a child, I grew up in a world that was part fantasy and part reality. I was very visual, and my mind would often wander as I looked at objects, observed patterns, and listened to conversations. I gained a particular interest in observing people and the way they behave. My mother took me along […]

My Feminism between the USA and the UAE

Feminism Is Too Strong of a Word I did not identify myself as a feminist until fairly recently.  Growing up, I always had the image of a feminist as an angry men-hating, bra-burning, refusing-to-shave-her-legs woman.  I have since been enlightened- according to recent research, there are numerous self-identified feminists who have never burned a bra […]

Slam Poem of Women

I’ve been tryna write a song about women for a while Sifting through my mind’s cabinet for the gender file When I looked back at it today I found out the vile Truth that my perceptions were mere deceptions and I was in denial   The file was sabotaged, scribbled with faulty illustrations Of a […]

The Skinny, the Average, and the Curvy: Confessions of Bullied Bodies

By: Sana Kamal and Mirna Alsharif The Women and Gender in the Middle East class at the American University in Dubai (AUD) held a workshop on women’s bodies. The workshop explored the societal standards that women are urged to adopt when it comes to their bodies. Dr. Pamela Chrabieh, Professor of women and gender studies […]