Identity, Gender, and Activism in the Middle East-North Africa: An Online Discussion with Activists & Artists from the Region
The premiere of WLP’s online forum series explores the intersection of gender, identity, and activism, as experienced by five young activists and artists in the Middle East-North Africa region. Hailing from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, and Yemen, the forum participants are driving forces for change in their societies – through art, public protests, journalism, and by bolstering the political skills, democratic values, and gender awareness of local citizens. Though the current political environment in each of the speakers’ countries is diverse, all are marked by large populations of youth seeking new freedoms and social and political structures. As with many countries across the globe, these societies are also marked by pervasive gender inequality that impacts the speakers’ lives and how they seek to shape society. Streaming from the interactive online event site Shindig, forum panelists will share how political systems and gender norms have influenced their identity, and how each is striving to transform their society and their place within it.