Women’s Activism and Political Change in Tunisia and Algeria

This article focuses on the central role of women’s activism in the context of deep political transformations in Tunisia and Algeria. The selection of these case studies is based on the significance of women’s mobilizations observed in the two countries since the independence and the changes in their identity paradigms. The proposed analysis aims to examine the evolving dynamics of women’s activism and the diverse ways in which feminist struggles manifest. This includes examining the involved actors, their narratives, and repertoires of action. This objective will be achieved by tracing the trajectories of these movements from their inception to contemporary mobilizations within a comparative framework. Additionally, emphasis will be placed on their responses to current societal and political conflicts. The juxtaposition of historical and current contexts aims to elucidate the interaction between women’s activism and changes in the political landscape. The method used relies on semi-structured interviews with activists, participant observation of recent mobilizations in both countries and the analysis of secondary sources.