Resistance to privatization in Egypt

In Economic Neoliberalism Became Almost Irrelevant, G.W. Kolodko states: New development policies are emerging after 10 years of experience with the transition process. Both theoreticians and policymakers are revising earlier theories about the market-state relationship, scrutinizing privatization processes, tackling deregulation arrangements with a fresh attitude, and attempting to deal with the far-reaching consequences of globalization (Kolodko, 1999). This research examines resistance to privatization in Egypt. It researches the reasons behind such resistance and the tactics of resistance as well. It also examines the different modes of resistance that exist in Egypt. Finally, it attempts to find out the effects of such resistance on privatization in order to prove that that local resistance to privatization may, in some cases, alter the outcomes. Secondly, in an attempt to find out the implications of resistance on the privatization track in Egypt, the research draws a comparison between two cases of Egyptian local resistance. The first case represents a model for the failure of privatization due to resistance and the other case represents a model for the success of privatization in the absence of strong resistance. The research shows how different combinations of reasons of resistance, tactics of resistance, and modes of resistance affect the impact of the resistance and its success or failure

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? Egyptian Women within the Confines of Authoritarianism

This paper examines the pre and post January 25th political dynamics in Egypt, how these have affected the role of women in the private, public and political spheres. It analyzes the dynamics of the development of Egyptian women’s organizations, and the extent to which these may develop into an Egyptian feminist movement. An overview of historical, political, and social contexts of the role of Egyptian women’s organizations will provide an understanding of their main accomplishments from Nasser to Mubarak. The study shows how the early women’s organizations were directly linked with the ruling authorities and how these have added to the authoritarian structure of the regime. The paper moves to analyze how women’s organizations have later evolved into more independent organizations, how they have influenced independent women activists, who have positioned themselves against the authoritarian power structure of the Egyptian political system. The paper finally assesses the extent to which women’s rights are going to be protected or rolled back under the rule of the military and later the Islamists in the post-Mubarak era

Middle Eastern Women between Oppression and Resistance: Case Studies of Iraqi, Palestinian and Kurdish Women of Turkey

Wars and conflicts have had a profound impact on women and gender in the Middle East. In this article, we aim to highlight the various ways in which the ongoing oppression and conflict in the Middle East shape the responses of the Iraqi, Palestinian and Kurdish women of Turkey and the object of their struggles. We go beyond the ‘Orientalist’ discourse, which depicts Middle Eastern women in armed conflicts as solely vulnerable and helpless victims, to discuss the resisting roles played by the Iraqi, Palestinian and Kurdish women of Turkey. Middle Eastern women have played and continue to play major roles in responding to society, gender and state oppression. While the Iraqi women in this study voice their resistance through conventional actions and wide civil-society activism that transcends the local level, the Palestinian women engage in unconventional unarmed or peaceful resistance through Sumud and cultural resistance as well as armed/non-peaceful acts of resistance. Finally, in the face of Turkish state oppression, the Kurdish women of Turkey also deploy non-peaceful resistance through becoming active fighters and engaging leadership positions in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party