The Centre on Law and Social Transformation and the Rafto Foundation are happy to invite you to a breakfast seminar on women activism in the Arab world.
Women activists are fighting for protection against violence, equal rights within marriage and reproductive health rights across the Middle East and Northern Africa. However, the fight for gender equality is not always well received neither by patriarchal states nor conservative religious groups. By narrowing the space for civil society action through the use of different types of law, states intimidate, shut down and arrest women activists for fighting the good fight. Women activists also face backlash from conservative religious groups often portraying their agenda as Western and against Sharia. This is a global phenomenon, with local consequences. Despite often oppressive and dangerous contexts, women activists in the MENA region are able to make a difference. This breakfast forum discusses the range of laws used to oppress women activists in the Middle East and Northern Africa. How do women activists successfully maneuver in oppressive and dangerous contexts?
This morning we are joined by Samia Nihar, Liv Tønnessen and Ingrid B. Rosland who will shed light on these question in a discussion moderated by Lisa-Marie Selvik.
Coffee and croissants will be served!
Samia Nihar is a womens activist and researcher i Sudan (Univeristy of Khartoum)
Liv Tønnessen is research director at CMI
Ingrid B. Rosland is a project manager at the Rafto Foundation
Lisa-Marie Selvik is a PhD candiate at the Department of Comparative Politics (UiB)