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Exploring the Potentials and Limitations of “Cyberfeminism” in Two Gulf States: The Cases of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
Abstract
This qualitative, critical research study analyzes how women in two Gulf countries: Bahrain, which witnessed the “Arab Spring” uprisings, and Saudi Arabia, which didn’t witness such uprisings, engaged in mediated gendered activism. It compares and contrasts the various forms of activism(s) and resistance(s) exhibited by women in these two Gulf states, both online and offline. It pays special attention to how women in these two countries used the phenomenon of “cyberactivism,” and its sister phenomenon of “cyberfeminism,” to support their causes, amplify their voices, and demand their rights in the three interrelated political, social and legal spheres. It relies on a deep textual analysis of the social media platforms of women activists in these two countries to answer the following questions: How did the political and social conditions of each of these countries, and their different paths to political and social reform, influence the political, social, and legal conditions of women, as well as the level, form, and intensity of their activism and resistance efforts, both online and offline? How and why did Arab women in each of these countries engage in the three parallel struggles in the political, social and legal spheres, and what tools did they use? What lessons could be learned from some of the successful examples in each of these countries in the realm of mediated gendered activism, and what lessons could be learned from some of the unsuccessful examples? In answering these questions, specific campaigns will be referred to, such as amending the family law in Bahrain and lifting the driving ban in Saudi Arabia, to mention only a few examples. The paper will provide a robust explanation of the political, social, cultural and legal factors which impacted the extent, intensity, form, direction, and impact of gendered activism in each of these countries, with a special focus on the potentials and limitations of mediated gendered activism via social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, and their effectiveness, or lack thereof, in each of these countries. Based on the findings of the undertaken research, conclusions will be drawn as to how and why some of these efforts were more effective than others, and recommendations will be offered as to how to maximize the effectiveness of these gendered campaigns, both online and offline, in the future.
Discipline
Communications
Geographic Area
Gulf
Sub Area
Media