Mapping the Institutional History of Women’s Organizations in Morocco and Egypt: A Comparative Case Study

Abstract

Women’s organizations have been at the heart of nearly every struggle for civil rights in the Middle East and North Africa since their inception. This paper will focus on the unique strategizing methods of women’s organizations in the region that confront deeply patriarchal societies with particular focus on the institutional history of Morocco and Egypt. The paper will first summarize the emergence of women’s rights organizations in the region within a historical, social, political, and international context. An in-depth history of Morocco and Egypt’s women’s movement through the lens of grassroots NGO organizing will follow. The two countries will then be examined alongside one another with specific attention to similarities and differences. While the paper will explore the importance of these organizations, it will also give homage to the grassroots, network-style organizing methods that have taken place outside of a hierarchical structure during and following the Arab Spring. Following the comparative case study, I will offer a detailed conclusion summarizing the research presented throughout the paper as well as what the future of women’s rights and organizing may look like in the coming years.