Islamist Women and the Arab Spring: Discourse, Projects, and Conceptions

There is near unanimity among observers that those who have benefited most from the Arab Spring are the Islamists, who have been brought to power at the ballot box in a number of the countries that have witnessed revolutions or popular movements. How has the Islamists’ transition from opposition to rule in their respective countries impacted the position of Islamist women? What impact has Islamists’ participation in popular movements had on women’s situation within these movements? This essay sets out to answer such questions by examining the following Islamist movements: the Tunisian Renaissance Movement (Ennahda), the Moroccan Justice and Development Party (JDP) with its religious advocacy wing the Unification and Reform Movement (URM), and the Al-Adl Wal Ihsane Justice and Spirituality Organization (JSO) in Morocco.