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Time, Difference, and the Transnational : Feminist Activism and Solidarities in Egypt and Tunisia

Abdelmoez, Joel W. LU (2025) In Lund Political Studies 229.
Abstract
This dissertation explores possibilities and challenges to the formation of transnational feminist solidarity in the Middle Eastern context, focusing on Egypt and Tunisia. In particular, it asks how feminist organisations balance the work towards building transnational alliances and support networks with the imperative to remain grounded at the local level and centre local communities in their work, while simultaneously shedding perceptions of feminism as a globalising, Westernising, or neo-colonial movement seeking to dismantle existing value-systems and norms related to gender, sexuality, and family. The concept of solidarity is investigated in relation to three “challenges”: the challenge of difference, challenge of time, and challenge... (More)
This dissertation explores possibilities and challenges to the formation of transnational feminist solidarity in the Middle Eastern context, focusing on Egypt and Tunisia. In particular, it asks how feminist organisations balance the work towards building transnational alliances and support networks with the imperative to remain grounded at the local level and centre local communities in their work, while simultaneously shedding perceptions of feminism as a globalising, Westernising, or neo-colonial movement seeking to dismantle existing value-systems and norms related to gender, sexuality, and family. The concept of solidarity is investigated in relation to three “challenges”: the challenge of difference, challenge of time, and challenge of the transnational. The dissertation posits that these challenges give rise to tensions—which may be productive, constituting opportunity rather than risk—such as emergent black and Nubian feminist groups shedding light on the marginalisation of racialised women within the feminist movement, or fragmentation stemming from a loss of intergenerational knowledge-exchange. Furthermore, a lack of explicit engagement with these tensions constitute a risk which may hinder feminists’ ability to mobilize across borders and ensure movement cohesion and longevity. Using a triangulation of fieldwork, textual analysis, and digital fieldwork, the dissertation uncovers how feminist groups’ engagement with issues of difference, their temporal practices and temporal perspectives, and their transnational interactions comes to shape their work. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna avhandling utforskar möjligheter och utmaningar för bildandet av transnationell feministisk solidaritet i Mellanöstern, med fokus på Egypten och Tunisien. Avhandlingen fokuserar på feministiska organisationers arbete med att bygga transnationella allianser och stödnätverk. Mer konkret utforskas hur detta arbete balanseras med önskan om att förbli förankrade på lokal nivå och centrera lokala samhällen i det feministiska arbetet. Samtidigt strävar dessa organisationer efter att göra sig av med en allmänt hållen uppfattning av feminism som en globaliserande, västerländsk eller neokolonial rörelse som strävar efter att avveckla befintliga värdesystem och normer relaterade till kön, sexualitet och familj. Solidaritetsbegreppet undersöks i... (More)
Denna avhandling utforskar möjligheter och utmaningar för bildandet av transnationell feministisk solidaritet i Mellanöstern, med fokus på Egypten och Tunisien. Avhandlingen fokuserar på feministiska organisationers arbete med att bygga transnationella allianser och stödnätverk. Mer konkret utforskas hur detta arbete balanseras med önskan om att förbli förankrade på lokal nivå och centrera lokala samhällen i det feministiska arbetet. Samtidigt strävar dessa organisationer efter att göra sig av med en allmänt hållen uppfattning av feminism som en globaliserande, västerländsk eller neokolonial rörelse som strävar efter att avveckla befintliga värdesystem och normer relaterade till kön, sexualitet och familj. Solidaritetsbegreppet undersöks i relation till tre "utmaningar": tid, differens/skillnad och transnationalism. Avhandlingen presenterar dessa utmaningar—som kan vara produktiva och utgöra möjligheter snarare än risker—och de spänningar som uppstår genom dem. Vidare utforskas hur bristen på explicit hantering av dessa spänningar utgör en risk som kan hindra feministers förmåga att mobilisera över gränser och säkerställa rörelsens sammanhållning och långsiktighet. Genom triangulering av fältarbete, textanalys och digitalt fältarbete avslöjar avhandlingen hur feministiska gruppers engagemang i frågor om skillnad, deras temporala praktiker och tidsperspektiv, och deras transnationella interaktioner formar det feministiska arbetet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Khalili, Laleh, University of Exeter
organization
alternative title
Tid, differens och det transnationella : Feministisk aktivism och solidariteter i Egypten och Tunisien
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
feminism, solidarity, temporality, chronopolitics, gender, contentious politics, feminism, solidaritet, temporalitet, tidspolitik, genus, konfrontativ politik
in
Lund Political Studies
volume
229
pages
263 pages
publisher
Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Lunds universitet
defense location
Edens hörsal, Allhelgona kyrkogata 14, Lund
defense date
2025-12-19 10:15:00
ISSN
0460-0037
0460-0037
ISBN
978-91-8104-757-8
978-91-8104-758-5
project
The Middle East in the Contemporary World (MECW) 2.0
Feminist Activism in the Contemporary Middle East: Transnationalism, performances and repertoires of contention
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6b2e9cc3-138f-4333-9e78-d5f5453a2959
date added to LUP
2025-11-24 12:21:50
date last changed
2025-11-24 12:52:58
@phdthesis{6b2e9cc3-138f-4333-9e78-d5f5453a2959,
  abstract     = {{This dissertation explores possibilities and challenges to the formation of transnational feminist solidarity in the Middle Eastern context, focusing on Egypt and Tunisia. In particular, it asks how feminist organisations balance the work towards building transnational alliances and support networks with the imperative to remain grounded at the local level and centre local communities in their work, while simultaneously shedding perceptions of feminism as a globalising, Westernising, or neo-colonial movement seeking to dismantle existing value-systems and norms related to gender, sexuality, and family. The concept of solidarity is investigated in relation to three “challenges”: the challenge of difference, challenge of time, and challenge of the transnational. The dissertation posits that these challenges give rise to tensions—which may be productive, constituting opportunity rather than risk—such as emergent black and Nubian feminist groups shedding light on the marginalisation of racialised women within the feminist movement, or fragmentation stemming from a loss of intergenerational knowledge-exchange. Furthermore, a lack of explicit engagement with these tensions constitute a risk which may hinder feminists’ ability to mobilize across borders and ensure movement cohesion and longevity. Using a triangulation of fieldwork, textual analysis, and digital fieldwork, the dissertation uncovers how feminist groups’ engagement with issues of difference, their temporal practices and temporal perspectives, and their transnational interactions comes to shape their work.}},
  author       = {{Abdelmoez, Joel W.}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-8104-757-8}},
  issn         = {{0460-0037}},
  keywords     = {{feminism; solidarity; temporality; chronopolitics; gender; contentious politics; feminism; solidaritet; temporalitet; tidspolitik; genus; konfrontativ politik}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Lunds universitet}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Political Studies}},
  title        = {{Time, Difference, and the Transnational : Feminist Activism and Solidarities in Egypt and Tunisia}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/233830010/Avhandling_Joel_Abdelmoez.pdf}},
  volume       = {{229}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}