Taking Difference Seriously: A Close-Up Look at Middle Eastern Feminism(s)

This presentation is about the formation of “Middle Eastern feminism.” It traces the myriad of factors that helped shape and/or fundamentally alter Middle Eastern feminists (i.e. the growing significance and subsequent failures of Middle Eastern states; the heightening of the War on Terror; the spread and growth of religious movements/states across the region, the Arab Spring, etc.) The talk is divided into three sections: In the first section, I zoom out to offer a long-shot view of Middle Eastern feminism as different from other kinds of feminisms. Here, I will attend to cross national collaborations and solidarities. In the second section, I zoom in to offer a close-up look at Middle Eastern feminisms. Here, I will explicate the differences within Middle Eastern feminisms, and discuss the tensions that have developed both across and within Middle Eastern countries. I will end the presentation by discussing the implications of pursuing a “politics of difference” at local, national and international levels.