Political Representation of Arab Women in the Aftermath of the Revolutions: An Illusion of Arab Spring?

Abstract

Arab women who supported the protests of the Arab Spring, which attempted to bring political rights and civil liberties to their countries, found themselves isolated from the transition process in the aftermath of the revolutions. Moreover, Arab women have even lost the rights they received during the rule of the former authoritarian leaders. This article in an attempt to analyze this conflicting situation and will refer to three research methods of comparative politics: structural, cultural and rational choice approaches. By referring to structural analysis, the study looks at the impact of institutions such as the constitution and the institutional structures on women’s rights. Through a cultural analysis, it concentrates on how the patriarchal life style, religion and Islamists in power constrained women’s rights. By referring to a rational choice approach, the study argues that new regimes – while prioritizing the issues such as ending the war, providing security and resolving the economic crisis – have not paid much attention to women’s rights. The article will concentrate on women’s rights and political representation prior to and in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya. The article will argue that there has not been much improvement in women’s rights in four countries as a result of cultural and structural reasons, as well as the rational choices

Keywords

• Arab Spring
• Women’s Rights
• Egypt
• Tunisia
• Yemen and Libya

Devrimler Sonrası Arap Kadını'nın Siyasi Temsili: Bir Arap Baharı Yanılgısı mı?

Abstract

Arap Baharı sürecinde, ülkelerine siyasi özgürlükler ve temel hakları getirmek amacıyla gerçekleşen eylemlere önemli ölçüde destek veren Arap kadınları devrimleri takip eden süreçte yeni kurulan hükümetlerde siyasetten dışlanmış ve otoriter yönetimler sırasında sahip oldukları hakları dahi kaybetmişlerdir. Makale bu çelişkili durumu inceleyebilmek için karşılaştırmalı siyasetin üç araştırma yöntemine (yapısal, kültürel ve rasyonel seçim yaklaşımlarına) başvurmuştur. Yapısal yaklaşımla, geçiş sürecinde oluşturulmaya çalışılan anayasa gibi kurumların ve kurumsal yapıların kadın hakları üzerindeki etkisine odaklanılırken; kültürel analizle ataerkil yapıların, dinin ve İslamcıların başa geçmesinin kadınların özgürlüklerini kısıtlaması konusundaki etkisi ele alınmıştır. Ayrıca rasyonel seçim yaklaşımı ile incelenen ülkelerde iç savaşın sonlandırılması, güvenliğin sağlanması ve ekonomik krizlerin çözümü gibi öncelikleri olan konular varken kadın haklarına fazla önem verilmemesi konusu açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. Makalede Mısır, Tunus, Yemen ve Libya’daki Arap Baharı öncesi ve sonrasındaki kadın hakları konuları özellikle kadının siyasi temsili üzerine odaklanılarak karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz edilecektir. Çalışma söz konusu ülkelerdeki yeni rejimlerin, kültürel ve yapısal olarak kadın haklarını fazla desteklememesine ilaveten geçiş sürecine dair daha acil sorunlarla uğraşılması nedeniyle kadınların siyasi haklarında iyileşme elde edilemediğini öne sürmektedir.

Keywords

• Arap Baharı
• Kadın Hakları
• Mısır
• Tunus
• Libya
• Yemen

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