Women's Rights after the Arab Spring

Have women in Arab countries achieved greater equality since the revolutions swept the region, and which rights are yet to be won?

The revolutions that swept across the Middle East in 2011, known as "The Arab Spring," promised greater freedoms for many in the region, including women. While there have been some advances in women's rights, the promise in many cases has not been realized.

In this month's show, Women's Rights after the Arab Spring, we travel to Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and the Gulf States to assess how and where women's rights have progressed.

Written and Edited by Martha Little / Produced by Jacob Conrad, Rob Sachs and Flawn Williams / Reporting by Kimberly Adams, Joseph Braude, Safouène Grira and Dalia Mortada/ Photos by Kimberly Adams, Amr Nabil/AP, and Gigi Ibrahim, Arrasio, and Wassim Ben Rhouma via Flickr Creative Commons Host: Barbara Bogaev for Madeleine Brand / Length: 51 minutes / Airdate: February, 2014 

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+ Gender Equality In Egypt And Tunisia

While the new consitutions in Egypt and Tunisia guarantee greater rights for women, the laws that keep women safe are often not enforced. Kimberly Adams reports from Cairo and Safouène Grira talks to women in Tunisia, who say violence against women and rape have become a daily concern.

+ Women's Rights In Turkey

Turkey has often been at the forefront of women's rights in the Middle East. But the recent rhetoric of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and more conservative social norms encouraged by the Justice and Development Party (or AKP), have raised increasing concerns about equality for women. Dalia Mortada reports from Istanbul.

+ Incremental Progress In The Gulf States

While the Gulf is often considered more conservative when it comes to women's rights, attitudes may be shifting. We hear from Saudi media personality Turki al-Dakhil about which rights have been won for women in Saudi Arabia. And reporter Joseph Braude explores some gains made for women in another Gulf state, Kuwait.

Supported By:

Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA)
Henry Luce Foundation