As I was browsing through some of CNN’s headlines over the past break, I stumbled across one that I thought I would reserve for this class blog. The article was published on December 22nd, 2011 and is titled, “ ‘Blue Bra Girl’ Rallies Egypt’s Women vs. Oppression.” This article caught my eye because of its intriguing title and even more so, the picture that went with it (I encourage you all to click on the link!)
The article describes how Egyptian military forces beat one female protester and how that one beating affected the revolution in Egypt. The woman who was severally beaten by the military forces was deemed as a new revival in the revolution. During the beating, the woman who was wearing an abaya had it ripped open to reveal a blue bra. The beating was filmed and numerous photos were taken. As the word and the pictures traveled the women and men of Cairo responded. On the Tuesday following the beating, the women and even many men, marched in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. This act was said to be, “one of the largest demonstrations of women in Egypt in decades.” Such a bold movement was not taken lightly and with the women of Egypt going to the streets in protest, new advances in the protest were made. Although there were earlier attempts to rally the women in Egypt to join the protest, most attempts failed.
Apparently it is not uncommon in Egypt for women’s involvement in protests and marches to end poorly. Last March, there was a failed attempt to have a Women’s Day march. Unfortunately, not many women showed up and the ones that did ended up being harassed or rounded up for random “virginity tests.” Only one of the victims of these horrific acts had come forward and made attempts in pursuing a case against the military. Like most of the women who did not pursue cases after the harassment in last March, the girl who was beaten just a month ago has not come forward and is still only known as the “blue bra girl.”
Although we do not know who this mysterious girl is, the “blue bra girl,” stood for revitalization in the protest. Posing as a new symbol for the continuation of protesting and fighting against oppression, the women of Egypt saw this blue bra as an icon. However, with this new icon came the disapproval of the symbol from many of the men who found that the deep-seated history of patriarchy in Egypt was being threatened. Do you find this image to be empowering as the women of Egypt see it to be?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/22/opinion/coleman-women-egypt-protest/index.html?iref=allsearch
It's hard for me to see an image like this as empowering, considering its depiction of a woman being publicly stripped and savagely beaten. There is no doubt, however, that it serves as a particularly enraging symbol of the oppression of Egypt's military regime. In this sense, I think, it has caused a resurgence of protests.
ReplyDeleteThe women who engaged in the protests of December 20, 2011 were certainly showing their solidarity with and support of the "blue bra girl". This protest can even be seen as a step towards the destabilization of Egypt's patriarchy. However, the reaction of many men, as noted in the article you linked, can be read much more ambiguously. Isobel Coleman writes: "Men formed a cordon around the women, chanting 'The women of Egypt are the red line.'" The idea of a "red line", or border signifies something of a barrier that is not to be crossed. The implication, it seems to me, is that as the government has harmed "Egypt's women", crossing the red line, there shall be repercussions from the men of Egypt. This is problematic in that it implies a certain ownership of women by men. Women are the "red line", the border, this is, the land which, when crossed, instigates conflict. The women are not empowered here, but are still subservient to, belonging to men.
I will admit, this analysis is something of an extrapolation, and probably a stretch. I don't know enough about Egyptian culture to definitively say whether or not the utterance is a sign of masculinism in Egyptian culture.
Regardless, the vicious beating of the "blue bra girl", itself is exemplary of patriarchal violence in Egypt. There is still a long way to go for the women of Egypt in achieving something like gender equality. On the other hand, that so many women are showing support for the "blue bra girl" and that many are stepping forward to run for public office gives one hope for Egypt's future.