In the Arab Spring era, Arab women stated a « red line » political claim in reaction to the perpetrated physical and sexual abuses against them.

The Arabic word « el had » which means a line, a limit not to be crossed, in this context, refers to this notion of women affirming their Habeas corpus rights.

« El Had » being the « applicable » patriarchal word, symbol of a domineering society over women, is then used and redifined by women as the ones who set the limits and no longer the ones submitting to them.

Creative performances were used to make of « el had » the very feminist word of body rights and freedom.

A woman holds a sign that reads “Egypt women red line” as they protest against military council violations and virginity tests against females outside the State Council court and in support of Samira Ibrahim in Cairo, December 27, 2011. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

In the meantime, their campaigns against sexual harassment in public spaces went viral on ground and on social media. They shed light on sexual harassment issues at a global level.

Western women campaigned first in solidarity with Southern women, but they were soon to (re)find out that gender issues, and here, sexual harassment in their own societies, in public space, is still a feminist concern. By doing so, both Southern and Western women, are reaffirming feminists’ issues as borderless and atemporal ones.

Ouerdia Ben mamar