What Does Security Mean for Women and Gender Equality in the Maghreb?

Starting from the theoretical standpoint that women and feminisms easily navigate the boundaries of the local, the regional, and the global, I problematize the concept of security and underline ways in which it relates to gender equality and women’s rights with a focus on the Maghreb.

Using the intersections social variables of geographical origin (rural/urban), class (upper, middle, lower, and destitute), level of education (educated, non-educated, illiterate), job opportunity (forma/informal), linguistic skills (monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual), and social status (married/unmarried), etc. I adopt a methodology that consists of interviews, a working session with a women’s NGO, a questionnaire, discussions with two focus groups, and my own analysis of sociological facts.

My findings so far may be summarized as: (1) The need for more conceptualization of security in the light of the above sociological intersections, (2) the relevance of gender equality and women’s rights in this conceptualization, and (3) Ways in which (1) and (2) can inspire policy-making.