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Sustaining Motivation : post-revolutionary oppositional consciousness among young Egyptian feminists

Sundkvist, Emma LU (2023) In The Journal of North African Studies 28(2). p.269-293
Abstract
Activism against sexual violence was one of the Egyptian Revolution’s most significant mobilising forces, but the country’s return to authoritarian rule has circumvented possibilities for organising and carrying out political resistance, including activism against sexual harassment. This article shows that despite this political oppression, young feminists continue to raise their voices and organise against the continuing problem of sexual violence. To illustrate this, the article draws on interviews considering a recent controversy surrounding allegations of sexual violence within the Egyptian political party Bread and Freedom. Interviewees describe that instead of receiving support in their criticism of the party’s handling of the... (More)
Activism against sexual violence was one of the Egyptian Revolution’s most significant mobilising forces, but the country’s return to authoritarian rule has circumvented possibilities for organising and carrying out political resistance, including activism against sexual harassment. This article shows that despite this political oppression, young feminists continue to raise their voices and organise against the continuing problem of sexual violence. To illustrate this, the article draws on interviews considering a recent controversy surrounding allegations of sexual violence within the Egyptian political party Bread and Freedom. Interviewees describe that instead of receiving support in their criticism of the party’s handling of the accusations, they were criticised by feminist and human rights activists, creating serious fragmentation among earlier united activists. The analysis shows that when young feminists saw former allies abandon the movement’s previously formulated objectives against sexual violence, their collective memory of past achievements bolstered their conviction that they should compromise neither on the definition of sexual violence nor on the ways to confront it. In fact, their careful adherence to the activism’s past principles and efforts serves as a mechanism for sustaining continuity in their feminist movement even as the political climate circumscribes opportunities for activism. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Oppositional consciousness, sexual harassment, Egypt;, motivation, young feminist activism
in
The Journal of North African Studies
volume
28
issue
2
pages
25 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85111691187
ISSN
1362-9387
DOI
10.1080/13629387.2021.1958315
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1f4bbe94-a5cc-479d-9fa9-6d1c95650aa5
date added to LUP
2021-07-29 22:00:17
date last changed
2023-10-26 14:59:55
@article{1f4bbe94-a5cc-479d-9fa9-6d1c95650aa5,
  abstract     = {{Activism against sexual violence was one of the Egyptian Revolution’s most significant mobilising forces, but the country’s return to authoritarian rule has circumvented possibilities for organising and carrying out political resistance, including activism against sexual harassment. This article shows that despite this political oppression, young feminists continue to raise their voices and organise against the continuing problem of sexual violence. To illustrate this, the article draws on interviews considering a recent controversy surrounding allegations of sexual violence within the Egyptian political party Bread and Freedom. Interviewees describe that instead of receiving support in their criticism of the party’s handling of the accusations, they were criticised by feminist and human rights activists, creating serious fragmentation among earlier united activists. The analysis shows that when young feminists saw former allies abandon the movement’s previously formulated objectives against sexual violence, their collective memory of past achievements bolstered their conviction that they should compromise neither on the definition of sexual violence nor on the ways to confront it. In fact, their careful adherence to the activism’s past principles and efforts serves as a mechanism for sustaining continuity in their feminist movement even as the political climate circumscribes opportunities for activism.}},
  author       = {{Sundkvist, Emma}},
  issn         = {{1362-9387}},
  keywords     = {{Oppositional consciousness; sexual harassment; Egypt;; motivation; young feminist activism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{269--293}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{The Journal of North African Studies}},
  title        = {{Sustaining Motivation : post-revolutionary oppositional consciousness among young Egyptian feminists}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13629387.2021.1958315}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13629387.2021.1958315}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}