Women's Voices on the Arab Spring: Lys Anzia

Lys Anzia - Founder/ Editor-at-large for Women's News Network

1. Was the role of women in the Arab Spring more or less meaningful than that of men?

The role of women to bring change to society is a powerful one, and it comes from a history where women have always been the ones who "fought the good fight" to ensure the survival of their families. Because of this, women have historically been involved in the formation of the highest part of all societies. This isn't just recent history. It has been happening for a long time, for hundreds of centuries. The Arab Spring has brought with it an opportunity for women to step forward with courage and focus. In the beginning women felt liberated to be able to step away from the privacy of their own homes and discuss their ideas for a better world in a public environment. Women could speak to a new audience about injustice in a new and greater way than ever before. The significance of this is incredible. It has broad implications for good in the world. Even His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said, "Women will save the world." Women have proven that this idea is correct. Women base their ideas on hard-earned experience. Their ideas have merit and deeply deserve to be listened to.

Women have offered sustainable thoughts, designs and concepts to improve society during the Arab Spring. But you might ask (or some of the doubters out there ask)… why are you saying that women are so good at this? Isn't this a pipe dream? It isn't a dream. Why? Because women are often the ones who bear the suffering of their families. And no one knows this better than women from Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, Morocco and so many other parts of the MENA region. The Mothers of Laleh Park in Iran are an example of women who have taken what they know about suffering as they continue to act as a "force for good" in the region of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). Many Iranian mothers carry the hidden wound of a son or daughter who is missing, dead, or imprisoned following the government crackdowns during the green pro-democracy uprising in Iran. Each of the Mothers of Laleh work with dignity to hold a light to the highest part of Iranian society as they focus together on the needs of women and the needs of protesting youth as they try to find ways for Iranian society to see what injustice is; to heal the heart of the country. The silent marches they make in Laleh Park are not safe for them, but they continue nonetheless.  

2. Have the revolts of the Arab Spring improved the position of women’s rights in the region?

Yes and no. Yes, because women's rights and issues are now more visible on the news and the internet. No, because there is still such a long way to go before corrupt forces are put in their proper place. Women's actions of taking to the streets to protest in the name of human rights, freedom, dignity and fairness are part of a growing and positive trend worldwide. Women in Arab nations who have put their safety on the line are the true heroes. 

Each of these women are making us realize that change can happen. But it isn't going to be easy. That is probably the biggest message coming from the Arab Spring. Women are trying to impact and change the caretakers of corrupt government. When women are in charge of protest campaigns, the campaigns are not violent.

Look at the woman who stood up alone to the Bahraini security police in front of a crowd and a heavy cloud of tear gas. Her heroism brings the issue — front and center — that dignity with human rights brings shame to the actions of these police. Look at the groping and attacks of women who were trying to be part of the protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo, especially the recent shameful disrobing and attack on one young woman protester by military police. This female hero is a beacon for everyone who believes that Egypt can become a better country for its people. She is now one of the most powerful icons for women's rights and human rights in the Arab Spring, especially as the recent December 20th women's protest in Tahrir Square brought out thousands of women to voice their outrage.

The women at Cairo's recent December 20th protest were not just young student protesters or full-time activists; they were housewives, grandmothers, daughters, and mothers with babies. As the hold of corrupt government crumbles with a continuing array of police directed violence, the world is watching. The important part to remember is this: in the court of public (and worldwide) opinion, women are winning. No amount of police corruption and condoned violence, torture, rape, injury, death or degradation can hold the women of the Arab Spring down. And if they get knocked down, they will stand up again.

Recently, one of the journalists I've worked with for many years through WNN (Women News Network) was suddenly arrested in Tahrir Square for a simple act: holding a camera. This wasn't a woman journalist. This was a man, an outstanding male journalist who has been reporting, along with WNN, on issues involving the sexual harassment of women in Cairo since October 2008. He is also a strong hero and one of numerous men who want to join women in the fight for dignity for Egypt's recovery. During the arrest he was beaten severely. He also witnessed serious questionable actions by the police against other protesters who had been arrested.

3. How can the women of the Arab Spring turn this activism into long-term/sustainable gain?

From 2005 to 2010, 14 of 17 countries in the MENA region reported gains for women (Freedom House data), but conditions have become harder with increasing dangers for women in Yemen, Iraq and Gaza. The issues of improvement for women have included many things: equal inheritance; marriage and divorce laws; child custody; representation in government; and discrimination against a tide of out-dated patriarchal prejudice. All of these issues constitute reachable goals for women who are working to bring positive change to their regions.

Some country ambassadors might say that reaching the goals and demands of the women of the Arab Spring might be an insurmountable task. I want to tell my protesting sisters that this idea is wrong. It is possible for a woman's voice to ring worldwide, even when officials try to keep her voice silent. Look at Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, for example: even under house arrest, her voice continued to help society. Look at the new Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman, whose efforts as a journalist with her organization "Women Journalists Without Chains" brought the lack of press freedom in Yemen to the front page news. Karman also helped the western world realize that, yes, someone who is of the Islamic faith can also be a strong advocate for peace and human rights for all.

One of the ways the goals of women activists can be reached is to work through new web and communications technologies. Today's new tech communications tools (webcams, mobile video, and sound reporting) can help women reach their goals if they carefully report with detail and without bias. We must remember that without mobile video citizen coverage, it would be impossible to know how many human rights violations occurred during the protests in Bahrain. The engaged use of the technology today is important and vital to all international agencies that work toward human rights, especially the United Nations.

Another key factor is to bring women to the table with decisionmaking power at high levels of government. The women of Afghanistan have been pushing for this, even against an ongoing tide that pushes back against them to bring more women into conversations that affect their region. Former parliamentary member Malalai Joya has been one of the vanguards for less corruption and more human rights in the southern region of Kandahar. After she was dismissed from the Afghan Parliament, Joya was in greater danger, but her voice became stronger than ever. With or without public support, women's representation in government can bring a sustained level of success. The key to this is not to give up; to continue to push forward until goals are met.

You might ask now: are all of these efforts sustainable? I say yes, especially as women lobby for equal pay, labour rights, and greater representation at local and national levels. The Arab Spring has now brought the voice of women in direct contact with leadership in Yemen, Syria and in Libya to leaders who have turned away from the needs of families across the MENA region. The significance of this is astounding. That our world's media has been able to focus closely on the plight of women — this is changing the world!