From Freedom Square in Tunisia to Tahrir Square in Egypt, from Clock Square in Homs to Pearl Square in Bahrain, from Martyrs Square in Beirut to all the Arab capitals, demonstrations and protests have taken place calling for change, bread, freedom, and social justice. Many women participated in and lead these demonstrations, exercising their right to peaceful assembly. However, many were also subjected to repression, persecution, and violence.

Women’s right to peaceful assembly is protected by eight major international human rights instruments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 20), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 21), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 8), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Article 7) the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Article 5), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 29), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 15) and the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (Articles 5 and 12). In this piece, we discuss the right to peaceful assembly for women and girls in the region and its importance in the feminist movement carried out by women-led associations and activists. The piece also discusses the challenges that women face when exercising this right and provides recommendations on how to protect it.

Read the full piece here (in Arabic only).