Power, Sexuality, Politics, and Gender in the Middle Eastern Resistance

Abstract

In the Middle East, wars and conflicts had a significant effect on women and gender. This
research essay aims to call attention to the current oppression and war in the Middle East affecting the
responses of women in the Middle East. In particular, the cases I used in the context of Iraqi,
Palestinian, and Kurdish women. The resistance of the Iraqi, Palestinian, and Kurdish women of
Turkey, outside the 'Orientalist' rhetoric is discussed, which portrays Middle East women in armed
wars as purely powerless and helpless victims. The nuanced reality of Arab cultures, particularly how
women's experiences differ over time and place and the methods they employ to negotiate themselves, has not been helped by simplistic generalizations. As Michel Foucault says, there is power, there will be conflict, and because resistance is a focus point in this essay, I will define power, including the empowerment of women.