Mapping gendered spaces and women’s rights in the modern egyptian public sphere

Abstract

This paper draws on secularisation and feminist theories to analyse the intersection between political, religious and economic factors in defining the gendered borders and women’s rights in the modern Egyptian public sphere. However, this present study concludes that the struggle for power between Islamists and secular-oriented forces and the rise of interactive social media platforms in a patriarchal class society revived the heated debates on women's rights, gendered spaces and the role of religion in the public sphere. Discussions point to a wide range of Egyptians' responses to these issues and also suggest that a new feminist consciousness and behaviour are growing. This new feminist consciousness is more grounded in a socio-economic context than a religious one. Therefore, this study suggests a need for serious societal and legal discussions to re-actualise laws pertaining to women's rights and visibility in the public sphere. These laws and a pro-women discourse should cope with the current socio-economic context and individuals' needs and aspirations in their globalized societies.