How do legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms, and community practices interact with societal norms to shape women’s experiences in the MENA region? This workshop examines how both formal legal reforms and informal strategies—ranging from state policies to grassroots initiatives—have mobilized and advanced women’s rights over time while engaging with local traditions and cultural values. We explore not only how law can directly support women’s rights, but also how political mobilizations, advocacy networks, and community practices leverage legal tools to effect change in socially and culturally specific contexts. Contributions may address topics such as legal advocacy, policy development, social change, and the interplay between global human rights standards and regional practices. By examining these intersections in Arab and Middle Eastern contexts, the workshop highlights the complex dynamics between legislation, institutional enforcement, and everyday practices, emphasizing strategies that promote gender equity while remaining sensitive to local norms. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, it aims to generate nuanced insights into both the opportunities and challenges of advancing women’s rights through law in culturally diverse settings.

The workshop invites interdisciplinary perspectives from law, social sciences, humanities, and gender studies to explore how legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms, and community practices intersect with societal norms to shape women’s experiences.

Organized by the GulfFeminisms Project (University of Copenhagen) and the Humanities Research Fellowship for the Study of the Arab World (NYU Abu Dhabi)

April 6, 2026

In-Person (NYUAD Campus) and on Zoom

The workshop is open to the NYUAD community and by invitation only. Please register below.