'Arab women are worse off'

Women’s rights activist Wafa Abdul Rahman Cairo - Salwa el-Lobani She has often fought for the Palestinian cause with vigour and a sense of justice that can only be admired. She has long campaigned against the increasing sexual harassment that Egyptian women face in the aftermath of the country’s revolution. On International Women’s Day, Arabstoday talks to Palestinian women’s rights activist Wafa Abdul Rahman on the issues facing Palestinian women today. How do you see the position of women following the Arab Spring revolutions? Women in countries across the Arab world, particularly those facing conflict or political unrest, are worried of a conservative Islamic government replacing the old regime. Whether it’s Syria, Iraq, Morocco or Tunisia, electing a religious government often leads to deterioration in women’s rights. As a result, I think many Arab women are worse off in the aftermath of the Arab Spring revolutions. I have been asked this question many times. When they first asked me about women’s position post- Arab Spring revolutions, I remember being at a conference. I said to a number of Palestinian women of my fear that the Arab world would fall in to the same trap as Palestine by electing an Islamic party like Hamas. At the time, Egyptian women refused to believe such a thing would happen, claiming that the Egyptian people knew better than to elect the Muslim Brotherhood – how wrong they were. However, women are fighting back. In Egypt, women are standing up against the rising trend of sexual violence against them. In Lebanon, women are fighting to establish a secular civil state that gives them equal rights. They may not represent every woman in that country but at least these women are fight the cause for equal rights. What is the future of the Palestinian women? The question should be what is the future of the Palestinians? The Palestinian cause seems to have lost its position as a priority in the Arab world as well as the international agenda. Despite small successes, the current deterioration of the Palestinian plight has harmed the whole population, most notably women. The new liberalism adopted by Ramallah’s government contradicts the political Islam espoused by the parties in Gaza, all of which are failing to achieve their objectives. As a result, Palestinian women are finding it hard to be recognised. Many women are leading the resistance against Israeli settlers, as well as demonstrating in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. However, they are still struggling to gain an equal position in either government. Do you still believe in the struggle? Of course, I have always believed in the struggle against Israeli occupation. I support all the different campaigns of resistance s means to achieving our objectives. I think we sometimes forget that as a nation it is our duty to support the Palestinian people, regardless of whether we have our own priorities in Egypt. What made you want to organise a protest in support of Egyptian women’s fight against sexual harassment? We decided to unite in creating a women’s uprising in the Arab world. Gaza’s women had already organised their protest earlier to express their anger against the Palestinian division, which coincided with Yafa’s protest by Egyptian women against sexual harassment. It worked well because we are all expressing our refusal to give up bodies to the fascist agendas aimed at undermining the revolutions. We are fighting against the use of religious language to violate women.  Sheikhs who exclude women need to be punished. As Palestinians we send a message of love to Egypt’s women, while condemning the country’s government for condoning their abuse.