Anotace
The seminar analyzes the contemporary Middle East from a gendered perspective. It questions the simplistic rhetoric of the “Western” media about women’s oppression in the “Muslim World”.
It contextualizes contemporary women’s movements in the region by looking into their historical and political roots. Then, the seminar addresses the question of women’s political and civic rights in selected states with a closer look on Turkey.
Special attention is given to women’s political representation as one of the indicators of gender (in)equality. Lastly, the seminar also discusses women’s involvement in the so-called Arab Spring (and Gezi movement in Turkey) as well as the impact of the most recent political transformations on women’s rights.