Hanane Darhour – författare

While the Arab Uprisings presented new opportunities for the empowerment of women, the sidelining of women remains a constant risk in the post-revolutionist MENA countries. Changes in the position of women are crucial to the reconfiguration of state-society relations and to the discussions between Islamist and secular trends. Theoretically framed and based on new empirical data, this edited volume explores women’s activism and political representation as well as discursive changes, with a particular focus on secular and Islamic feminism, and changes in popular opinions on women’s position in society. While the contributors express optimistic as well as more pessimistic views for the future, they agree that this is a period of uncertainty for women in the region, and that support by ruling elites towards women’s rights remains ambiguous and double-edged.

While the Arab Uprisings presented new opportunities for the empowerment of women, the sidelining of women remains a constant risk in the post-revolutionist MENA countries. Changes in the position of women are crucial to the reconfiguration of state-society relations and to the discussions between Islamist and secular trends. Theoretically framed and based on new empirical data, this edited volume explores women’s activism and political representation as well as discursive changes, with a particular focus on secular and Islamic feminism, and changes in popular opinions on women’s position in society. While the contributors express optimistic as well as more pessimistic views for the future, they agree that this is a period of uncertainty for women in the region, and that support by ruling elites towards women’s rights remains ambiguous and double-edged.

History demonstrates that women’s ascent to or absence from leadership positions is contingent on the various political, cultural, social, and professional contexts they are situated in. But we do not fully understand why structural changes alone do not lead to a genuine recognition of women’s leadership capabilities. This edited collection on women and leadership is a contribution in this regard. Drawing on case studies and examples covering African countries, it aims to re-conceptualize women’s leadership by providing an analysis of a wide range of contexts and power dynamics that either enable or restrain African women’s potential. The collection includes chapters that address more specifically structural and agency factors affecting women’s engagement with leadership roles in diverse selective, elective, conventional and non-conventional forms of leadership in Africa. As such, it contributes to the advancement of new avenues of thought on issues related to women’s leadership as a whole.