Women’s Religious and Social Activism in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Countries

Abstract

Abstract This chapter analyzes women’s religious and social activism in the Arab Gulf states, with attention to the varied ways Gulf women are negotiating religious, social, and political norms and expectations and redefining their societal roles. Specifically, it examines the myriad strategies deployed by women in the Gulf to renegotiate and resist gender norms, focusing on women’s religious and social activism in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Women’s resistance in the Arab Gulf has taken both direct and subtle forms, with some women defying legal and social boundaries to fight for increased political and social rights and others working through existing political and social structures to affect gradual social change. Situating Gulf women’s choices in the region’s contemporary sociopolitical context of rapid development and social change, this chapter highlights how Gulf women are skillfully (re)negotiating gender roles in their nations through political participation, religious engagement, and organized political and social media activism.