Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016)

Women's Activism in the Most Recent Cycle of Global Protests

Abstract Submissions Closed

RC32 Women in Society (host committee)
RC48 Social Movements, Collective Actions and Social Change

Language: English

Women throughout history have been active in mobilizations and social protests of various movements that have emerged to demand political, economic, and social justice. Looking at the modern era, particularly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, young women especially, in the Middle East, North Africa and other regions of the world have actively engaged in mass social protests for democratization and social equality. In some of these supposedly “leaderless movements”, they became the “leading figures” by playing prominent and pioneering roles through social media and street protests. 
Studies show that democratic mobilizations for social change that involve women activists do not necessarily translate into tangible and sustainable policy gains for women’s rights and gender equality in the aftermath. Without centering women’s rights and gender equality in the strategic planning of these protest movements, opportunities for an inclusive democratization process cannot be realized, especially where political spaces open up for authoritarian and fundamentalist regimes, which can lead to the reinscription of previous gender inequalities. 
In this session, we would like to focus on the gender dimensions of popular uprisings and mobilizations since 2010 in the Middle East and North Africa and other regions of the world, including Europe, Asia, and North America. The questions we would like to confront refer to the nature and trajectory of women’s activism, its characteristics, forms and strategies of participation, and outcomes for advancing women’s rights and gender equality in building new economic, social and political institutions. We welcome both theoretical and empirical proposals.