Egypt, the Arab World and the War on Women

Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy has been one of the most visible reporters of the dramatic events in Egypt in recent years. Feminist website Jezebel has called her ‘the woman explaining Egypt to the West’ – and she’s combined her coverage of radical politics with calls for both social and sexual revolutions.

An expert on Egypt and women’s issues in the Arab world, she’s also unafraid to use her own experiences to bolster her arguments for badly needed change. Beaten, sexually assaulted and detained by riot police in Cairo in 2011, she called for a holistic campaign against sexual violence in Egypt. A self-described ‘liberal Muslim’, she’s attracted controversy for her views on misogyny in the Arab world and what she describes as ‘the Islamist hatred of women’. For her, political freedom and radical freedom for women are linked. What does the future hold for both of these revolutions?

A former Reuters Middle East correspondent, Eltahawy’s work has appeared in publications all over the world, including the New York Times, Washington Post and the Guardian. She’s also been an incendiary guest on ABC TV’s Q&A. Newsweek named her one of its 150 Fearless Women of 2012.

Join series host Sally Warhaft in conversation with Mona Eltahawy in this special spotlight edition of The Fifth Estate.