Social Identity and Female Empowerment in 'The Journey of Ibn Fattouma' and 'Wadijda' Anonymous College

In the Arab World, women’s rights, gender equality, and feminism have always been a concept that is challenging to the authorities of the society and the social norms established under the Islam and the Arab culture. Although there has been the development of the Islam feminism as well as online Muslim feminist platform such as “Isamonline” and “Islamway sisters”, however, we still see the inequalities and struggles happening to the females in the Arab World. The movie Wadijda by the Saudi female director Haifaa al-Mansour and the novel The Journey of Ibn Fattouma by Naguib Mahfouz both show the struggles of women in the Arab World and their search for an independent social identity from the Arab men.

First of all, the social norms and social expectations about the role of women in the Arab World creates inequalities against women. The movie Wadijda tells the story of a Saudi teenage girl’s struggles as a female in the society through the story line of her making efforts to own a bicycle. As a teenage girl, it is hard to imagine that in some areas of the world, it is forbidden for them to ride a bicycle. However, it is something for real and considered normal by most people including females in Wadijda’s society. Growing up in...