Publication

This paper details and compares women's movements in Egypt and Turkey. It concludes that despite differing historical and political contexts, women's movements in both countries have challenged prevailing notions of political culture and institutions. By looking at the broader picture and considering feminist activism in other parts of the region, the author argues that women's movements in the Middle East are potential agents for democratization, but that they are yet highly constrained by prevailing social and political structures, a lack of clear institutional targets and ambiguous state policies.