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No Agency Without Grassroots Autonomy: A Framework for Evaluating Women’s Political Inclusion in Jordan, Bahrain, and Morocco

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Empowering Women after the Arab Spring

Part of the book series: Comparative Feminist Studies ((CFS))

Abstract

Today every state in the Middle East and North Africa incorporates women into the political process to some degree, but the extent of women’s political influence varies across the region. This chapter explores the experiences of women in the kingdoms of Bahrain, Jordan, and Morocco—three monarchies sometimes highlighted as success stories in terms of women’s empowerment. I argue that the presence of autonomous grassroots mobilization is key in facilitating women’s substantive political influence. That autonomy is at least partially contingent on the absence of internal mechanisms of control and rival agenda-setting such as GONGOs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Government, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA

    Bozena C. Welborne

Authors
  1. Bozena C. Welborne
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

    Marwa Shalaby

  2. Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Valentine M. Moghadam

Appendix

Appendix

BAHRAIN

(May–August 2009)

JORDAN

(August 2008–May 2009)

MOROCCO

(May–August 2008 August–December 2009)

Local NGO and Government Organizations Interviewed

Awal Women’s Society

Arab Reporters of Investigative Journalism (ARIJ)

Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc (ADFM)

Al-Mustaqbal (Future Women’s Association)

Arab Women’s Legal Network (AWLN)

Association Ennakhil pour la Femme et l'Enfant

Bahraini Bar Society

Business and Professional Women’s Association (BPWA)

Association des Femmes Chefs d’Enterprises du Maroc (AFEM)

Bahraini Businesswomen’s Society

Center for Strategic Research (University of Jordan)

Association Marocaine des Assistantes Sociales (Rabat)

Bahraini Human Rights Society

Department of Statistics-Gender Unit

Association Marocaine des Femmes Progresistes (AMFP)

Bahraini Institute for Political Development

General Federation of Jordanian Women (GFJW)

Association Marocaine pour la Promotion de l'Entreprise Feminine (ESPOD)

Bahraini Supreme Council for Women

Jordanian Center for Social Research (JCSR)

Association Solidarité Féminine (ASF)

Bahrain Women’s Society

Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Development (JOHUD)

Collectif 95 Maghreb Egalite

Bahraini Women’s Union

Judicial Institute of Jordan (JIJ)

Espace Associatif Maroccain

Bahrain Young Ladies Society

Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW)

Ligue Democratique Pour Les Droits De La Femme (LLDF)

Be Free Center

Jordanian Women’s Union (JWU)

Ligue Nationale des Femmes Fonctionnaires des Secteurs Public et Semi-Public

Gulf Center for Strategic Studies

Mahara Consultancy for Development

Union de l'Action Feminine (UAF)

Ministry of Social Development

Ministry of Labor-Women’s Work Department

Union Nationale des Femmes Marocaines (UNFM)

Women’s Petition Committee

Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC)-Gender Unit

 
 

National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA)

 
 

Queen Zein Al Sharif Institute for Development (ZENID)

 
 

Women’s Studies Department

 

International Organizations Interviewed

Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI)

Freedom House

Gemeinschaft fur Technische Zwischenarbeit (GTZ)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

International Republican Institute (IRI)

Conseil de la Communauté Marocaine à l'étranger (CCME)

United Nations Information Center (UNIC)

National Democracy Institute (NDI)

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)- Regional Office Rabat

 

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)- Regional Office Amman

 
 

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

 

Political Parties Interviewed

Al-Wa’ad (National Democratic Action Society)

Al-Wasat (Muslim Center Party)

Parti de la Justice et du Développement (PJD)

Al-Wefaq (Islamic National Forum Society)

Islamic Action Front (IAF)

Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires (USFP)

Al-Menbar Islamic Society

  

Al-Asalah Islamic Society

  
  1. *In all of the organizations cited above, I conducted interviews with select representatives from their gender units or parties responsible for research and policy related to women and gender empowerment. Some of the organizations listed are no longer active. Interviews were also conducted with journalists from mainstream press, with female MPs who ran as independents, as well as relevant scholars from local academic institutions across all three kingdoms

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Welborne, B.C. (2016). No Agency Without Grassroots Autonomy: A Framework for Evaluating Women’s Political Inclusion in Jordan, Bahrain, and Morocco. In: Shalaby, M., Moghadam, V. (eds) Empowering Women after the Arab Spring. Comparative Feminist Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55747-6_4

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