Women in Iconic Protest Imagery Across SWANA

Abstract

The mobilizations of the past thirteen years in Southwest Asia and North Africa suggest a shift in the visual culture of the region. From the start of the Arab Spring in 2011 to the latest uprising in Iran, the visual output of protests has been marked by the hypervisibility of the figure of the female protester as an icon of revolution. The following thesis dissects five cases of women in iconic protest imagery across the region: Egypt’s blue bra girl and Turkey’s woman in red, Sudan’s Kandaka, Lebanon’s Kick-Queen, and Iran’s haircutting ceremonies. I both adopt and depart from Hariman and Lucaites (2007) study of photojournalistic icons to explore different dimensions of iconicity and its impact on women’s mobilization. From iconic images to iconic action, the newfound centrality of women in protest imagery seems to be paving the way for new observations on visual culture, gender dynamics, and communication in the region.