"Digital Feminism in the MENA Region: Arab Youth Confronting Patriarchal Discourses on Social Media"

My focus is on Arab youth, particularly young women active on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These individuals engage in discussions about feminism, resisting dominant Arab and Islamic discourses that often marginalize, demonize, or restrict feminism to Western or privileged contexts. They challenge efforts to erase the shared nature of women's issues across cultural, political, and religious boundaries.

Their content centers on two main elements: 1) raising awareness on women's issues and 2) countering anti-feminist ideologies, especially on social media. Their approach to argumentation is distinct from the traditional activist tone of feminist movements or academic discourse, employing real-life examples, humor, sarcasm, and exposing contradictions in opponents’ arguments. They also address taboo topics related to women's lives.

These platforms have gained wide followings across the Arab world, sustaining the relevance of feminist thought within development agendas, even in crisis-ridden societies. They raise critical issues such as male power, harassment, exploitation, double standards, and body issues, while mocking patriarchal men and women, and critiquing religious institutions and fatwas hostile to women’s rights.

In addition to this, they resist the regressive rhetoric of both men and women, including movements like the "tradwife" trend and violent anti-women men’s groups. In my intervention, I focus on Nidal (Egypt/Saudi Arabia), Khatira (Jordan), and Raseef 22, analyzing their most popular content to show how social media youth are expanding the feminist discourse and refuting claims that link feminism to Westernization, cultural disassociation, or incompatibility with Islam.