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Arab Spring: opportunity or disaster for women?

Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We've learned that rights are not a gift -- we have to snatch them." -- Amira Yahyaoui. "We cannot talk about the revolution in the past because it is not over... For women, I think the Arab Spring has been positive in one sense -- that it has made women see the importance of mobilisation of fighting for our rights. We've learned that rights are not a gift -- we have to snatch them" - Amira Yahyaoui. It's been almost two years since revolution swept across parts of the Arab world. Women organised and led demonstrations that toppled decades-old regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen -- and helped the rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. Hopes were high that the Arab Spring would bring not just political change, but greater gender equality, too. But despite the major role they played in the uprisings, many activists worry that women are being left out of the political process. A key focus of the inaugural Trust Women conference, co-hosted by Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Herald Tribune in London in December 2012, was to discuss challenges and opportunities for women of the Arab Spring. This video opened a plenary session at the conference devoted to the issue. More on www.trust.org Transcript: In Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen, women were at the forefront of uprisings that toppled autocrats who'd ruled for decades. In Libya, they helped rebels overthrow Muammar Gaddafi. But two years on from the Arab Spring, hopes that the revolutions would bring gender equality are tempered with fear. Fear that Islamist-led governments might pander to conservative forces opposed to women's rights. Fear that new constitutions might fail to enshrine women's rights -- or worse, roll them back. And fear that women are being sidelined from the political processes shaping their countries. Amira Yahyaoui, Tunisian rights activist: "We cannot talk about the revolution in the past because it is not over... For women, I think the Arab Spring has been positive in one sense -- that it has made women see the importance of mobilization of fighting for our rights. We've learned that rights are not a gift -- we have to snatch them." Tunisia has long been seen as progressive on women's rights. But controversy now rages over its draft constitution. It defines women's role as "complementary" to men, effectively making them second-class citizens. Meanwhile, less than a third of National Assembly are women. And only two women are in the cabinet. Egypt's cabinet is equally skewed. Two women, more than 30 men. And before it was dissolved in June, parliament proposed to decriminize female genital mutilation, lower the age of marriage and repeal women's right to divorce. In Libya, women voted in large numbers in the country's first free election in decades. New electoral rules ensured a pretty decent female/male ratio in parliament. Elham Saudi, Libyan lawyer: "I am confident that the next Libyan president will be a woman -- I just think she is a few years away." Yemen is in a difficult transition. Women have been guaranteed some representation in all parts of the process leading to a new constitution and elections in 2014. At the other end of the scale is Syria, where at least 1,700 women have been killed in civil war and as many raped. Here, women's rights aren't even on the agenda. Suhair Atassi, Syrian opposition activist: "Perhaps one statement made by a protestor accurately illustrates the Syrian revolution: I am a human and not an animal. In Syria, there are no human rights." The Arab Spring -- a major set-back for women or a window of opportunity? As Nobel peace prize laureate Shiran Ebadi says, "Only when women achieve their rights can we say that the 'Arab Spring' has commenced." Subscribe: https://www.bit.ly/3L0j2Ro Watch more videos: https://www.bit.ly/3FPmblU Visit our site: https://www.context.news/ — We make short documentaries, explainers and original series for people who care about the world’s biggest challenges. Context is anchored around three of the most significant and interdependent issues of our time: climate change, the impact of technology on society and inclusive economies. We contextualize how critical issues and events affect ordinary people, society and the environment. Context is a media platform brought to you by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. Through journalism, media development, free legal assistance, and convening initiatives, we combine our unique services to drive systemic change.