Towards a Global Research Agenda on Civic Engagement: Lessons from a Decade of Mobilization in the Arab Region The Case of Transformative Feminist Mobilizations

• In Event: Civil society and gender

Abstract

Debates about the relationship between state and civil society are discussed extensively in the literature. theories developed within this context claim that the nature of the relationship differs based on the state’s political system.
In weak and developing countries, where laws are not always enforced, the ruling regime is directly affecting this state-society relationship. In this regard, civic associations are taking a less universalistic approach to accessing state resources and are using different strategies to influence public policy. While much of the existing research has focused separately on the nature of social movements or how governments react to them, this research focuses on the nexus and the dynamic interactions between the two dimensions. In this regard, this research aims to identify how intersectional feminist civil society groups in selected countries in the MENA/SWANA region advocate for change, how they interact with governments and the strategies, tools, and skills they utilize. It assesses their identification of success and failure, the factors at play in their advocacy campaigns, and their relationship with governments.
It will tackle the following research questions:
• What determines the formation of feminist coalitions for change and their ultimate success or failure? How inclusive are these emerging feminist coalitions?
• What are the observed pathways to change based on how political power is organized in the State and the ways it engages with feminist demands?
The research is grounded in feminist epistemology. It uses a feminist qualitative method based on grounded theory, creating an equal relationship between the researcher and the researched to generate new knowledge . Looking at the timeframe expanding between 2011 and the present day, it examines three cases of social mobilization, namely queer movements, gender-based violence, and nationality. Each case study covers two countries, even though the selected campaign may have had a broader geographical outreach.
The objective is to understand the impacts of social movements on accountable governance, including reflections on the coalitions formed, the policy changes targeted, the response of elites/the state, the role of knowledge and knowledge producers in advocating for policy change, and the interactions between local, national, regional, and international actors in policy formulation and implementation.
the analysis highlights how perceptions of success and failure differ between different movements. Despite the unique nuances of their contexts, countries in the region share structural challenges in building effective, cross-cutting, and intergenerational feminist movements. Despite this separation, research highlights that feminist issues are inherently politically closely linked to social systems, individual rights, freedoms, and identities. Furthermore, the study highlighted the persistent challenge resulting from this separation. The research framework highlighted solidarity and intergenerational actions within feminist movements, emphasizing the power that comes from collaboration and alliance. Finally, the study addressed the issue of NGOs and intergenerational dynamics, underlining their impacts on both the local and the international scale. The study also documents the impact of political, economic, and social changes on the ability to provide long-term financial support to feminist movements

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Authors

• Tania Haddad, American University of Beirut

• Lina Abou Habib, American University of Beirut