where women and other marginalized groups can
organize and build solidarity, as well as re-imagine
feminist futures grounded in social justice (Asfari
Institute, 2023). Despite their efforts, the struggle
for gender justice is constantly hampered by
increased restrictions on civil society, as well as on
freedom of assembly and expression in the region
where civic space is closing up at an alarming rate
(Middle East & North Africa - Civicus Monitor 2022,
n.d.)).
As the women's rights organization Kvinna Till
Kvinna noted in a 2018 report, "the reduction of civic
space has dire consequences for the work of all civil
society organizations and movements, but those
fighting for the rights of women and working on
feminist issues often bear the most dramatic
consequences." (Asmar, 2020, p. 14). For instance,
many Bahraini women human rights defenders are
currently living in exile out of fear for their security
after continuous threats. In Egypt, civic space is
extremely repressive towards rights-based groups
and activists, with bans and heavy sanctions
imposed on organizations receiving foreign funding,
while at the same time, activists suffer defamation
campaigns and arrests. In Iraq, Jordan, and
Palestine, women human rights defenders suffer
from threats emanating from political parties and
state and non-state actors perpetrating social norms
that bind these women and hinder their ability to
express themselves at the cost of their lives. For this
reason, feminist movements have been able to
devise new and adapted strategies for organizing
and fighting for social justice; in many cases using
digital means and platforms (Asmar, 2020, p. 14).
Particularly in contexts of health and economic
crises, fragmentation, occupation, armed conflicts,
and shrinking civic space, digital platforms play an
important role in responding to challenges and
offering an alternative space for discussion, mutual
learning and support, as well as solidarity and
resistance through amassing collective power.
As noted by interviewees from the studies referenced
in this section, digital platforms have given them a
space to push back and fight against oppression, to
shape and disseminate counter-narratives. They all
considered online platforms as outlets for them to
address critical issues they care about, to influence
the discourse of people and communities around
them, and to provide information about public
policies and feminist change (Asmar, 2020, p. 15).
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