Women’s political activity and leadership in the Maghreb countries. A post-Arab Spring perspective

Abstract

The Maghreb states and their societies share many similarities, nevertheless, the level of political activity of women and the scale of female political leadership is not one of them. Women’s participation in political life is highly diversified and differs significantly among the countries of the region. The key aim of the article is to outline and analyse the scope and forms of women’s political activity and leadership in the four Maghreb countries: Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The paper focuses on women’s presence in the parliament and in the government as well as their political leadership, including party leadership. The analysis is based on critical review of scientific literature, analytical studies and news presented by reputable media outlets. For the purpose of showing both similarities and differences between the four states comparative approach is adopted. Major changes that took place in Maghreb’s political sphere during the last decade are recalled in the paper as well as social and cultural context in which they are located. Historical perspective is also taken into consideration in the course of the analysis.