Re-Defining Revolution: A Case Study of Women and Graffiti in Egypt by Stephanie Perrin B.A., Ryerson University, 2012 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the School of International Studies Faculty of Arts and Sciences Stephanie Perrin 2015 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2015 Approval Name: Stephanie Jane Perrin Degree: Master of Arts (International Studies) Title: Re-Defining Revolution: A Case Study of Women and Graffiti in Egypt Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Christopher Gibson Assistant Professor Dr. Tamir Moustafa Senior Supervisor Associate Professor Dr. Alexander Dawson Supervisor Professor Department of History Dr. Judith Marcuse External Examiner Adjunct Professor Faculty of Education Date Defended/Approved: 2 December, 2015 ii Abstract Like any social phenomenon, revolutions are gendered. The male tilt of revolutionary processes and their histories has produced a definition of revolution that consistently fails women. This thesis aims to redefine revolution to incorporate women’s visions of societal transformation and the full achievement of their rights and freedoms. I argue that approaches to women’s revolutionary experiences are enriched by focusing on the roles of culture, consciousness, and unconventional revolutionary texts. Egypt is examined as a case study with a focus on the nation’s long history of women’s activism that took on new forms in the wave of socio-political upheaval since 2011. Using interdisciplinary, visual analysis, I examine graffiti created by women, or that depict women between 2011 and 2015 to reveal how gender was publicly re-imagined during a period of flux for Egyptian society. The historical and visual analysis contribute to a new definition of revolution, one that strives to achieve the total transformation of society by disrupting gendered consciousness to finally secure rights and freedoms for all. Keywords: revolution, women’s rights, Egypt, graffiti, feminism iii Dedication To women who imagine and create a better future. iv Acknowledgements It takes a village to write a thesis, and I am deeply grateful to colleagues, family, and friends who communed around me so mine could be written. Thank you to my supervisor, Dr. Tamir Moustafa. Encouraging intellectual exploration while ensuring I remained grounded in the goals of the project, Dr. Moustafa’s guidance was instrumental to the evolution of this thesis. I also want to thank my secondary supervisor, Dr. Alec Dawson, who asked an essential question: what story do you want to tell? I would like to express my gratitude for the Canadian Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) that supported the research for this thesis. Thanks to Sarah El-Sharaawi for assisting with translation all the way from Cairo. To my family, your patience, curiosity, and unwavering support are invaluable. The dedication each of you show to your own work inspires me to do the same. Thank you to Ellen Brunton, Kate Grisdale, Britt Tuckey, and Emma Wilson who were endless sources of advice and laughter. I am deeply grateful to the Art for Social Change team who continually open my eyes to all the ways art can change the world. v Table of Contents Approval .............................................................................................................................ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication .........................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ..............................................................................................................vi List of Figures.................................................................................................................. viii List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................ x Glossary ............................................................................................................................xi Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2. Defining Revolution ..................................................................................... 6 A Brief History of Revolution ............................................................................................. 7 Revolution as Cyclical .............................................................................................. 7 Revolution as Transformative ................................................................................... 8 Expansion of Revolution........................................................................................... 8 New Transformations ............................................................................................. 11 Theories of Revolution .................................................................................................... 12 Structural Theory .................................................................................................... 13 Cultural Theory ....................................................................................................... 15 Critiquing Revolution ....................................................................................................... 20 Women and Revolution ................................................................................................... 21 Women’s Motivations and Interests in Revolution .................................................. 22 Women’s Experiences with Revolution .................................................................. 24 Women and the Outcomes of Revolution ............................................................... 28 Women and the Failures of Revolution Literature .................................................. 30 An Alternative Revolution Text: Graffiti ........................................................................... 31 Women, Art and Graffiti .......................................................................................... 34 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 3. An Ongoing Revolution: the Women’s Movement in Egypt .................. 38 1919 Revolution .............................................................................................................. 39 1952 Coup and Nasser’s Presidency (1956-1970) ......................................................... 43 The Sadat Regime (1970-1981) ...................................................................................... 45 The Mubarak Regime (1981-2011) ................................................................................. 48 In Flux (2011-Present) .................................................................................................... 53 The Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) .................................................... 58 Morsi .................................................................................................................. 61 el Sisi .................................................................................................................. 65 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 68 Chapter 4. Against the Wall: Women and Graffiti in Egypt ...................................... 70 Graffiti Analysis ............................................................................................................... 72 vi Methodology ........................................................................................................... 72 Findings .................................................................................................................. 74 2011 ....................................................................................................................... 74 2012 ....................................................................................................................... 78 2013 ....................................................................................................................... 87 2014 ....................................................................................................................... 94 2015 ....................................................................................................................... 99 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 102 Chapter 5. Re-Defining Revolution ........................................................................... 105 References ................................................................................................................ 110 Appendix A. Graffiti Analysis Data ....................................................................... 120 vii List of Figures Figure 2.1. liberté, égalité, fraternité .......................................................................... 17 Figure 2.2. vive la revolution .....................................................................................