Are women the real losers in the Arab Spring?

Democracy is a beautiful idea, a grand concept.

When the Arab Spring started spreading across the world, citizens of western countries rejoiced. Soon, the oppressed  people would win over the elite and dictators. Power would go to the people.

Gaddafi, Mubarak, Ben Ali fell. We thought they were the losers. The cruel and heartless ruling class had finally crumbled. Prosperity, happiness and mostly freedom was therefore accessible to everyone. As we watched these changes unfold,  political experts still warned against precipitated celebration.

A bit more than one year after I wrote my first post about Women’s Day in Egypt, the situation is bitter.

“Mob attacks march against sexual harassment in Egypt, with attackers groping women” reported the Washington Post .

Nothing has changed and it seems like it almost got worse. Isn’t democracy for everyone? Aren’t women part of the oppressed group of people entitled to freedom?

Funnily enough, western nations always appear more preoccupied to know whether the next head of states will collaborate with their countries. Worrying about women is obviously a secondary concern. After incurring many losses in Afghanistan, it is way more important to deal with the Taliban to get out of there within the briefest delays than to think about the potential consequences on women.

Women are the losers in the Arab Spring. Even though they make a half of the world population, they are always forgotten for the sake of supposedly higher ideals.