This research is about Arab women cartoonists. In the Arab world, women cartoonists are invisible for multiple reasons, including cultural, political and ideological factors. This research explores the conditions of practice and experience of some of the Arab women cartoonists currently in active service. This will help to better understand the invisible normative environment within which they create and express themselves.
This research mainly revolves around the primary axes directly related to the factors shaping the experiences of female cartoonists and their cultural and artistic productions in the Arab. These include: the patriarchal discourse and the repressive parties in their political and social manifestations in the region; gender affairs, especially women’s status and position within the Arabic social hierarchy and the margin of their intervention in the public sphere; censorship over the intellectual and artistic productions (including self-censorship, reinforced by the previously mentioned factors); and satire as a tool of resistance to oppression.
This enquiry includes a selection of cartoons and case studies reflecting the diversity of these cartoonists’ approaches in the context of their countries' social and political limitations. Primary data collected from interviews, published articles and cartoons affords a critical view of the factors that affected the work experience and the visual productions of these cartoonists. Furthermore, the research includes a self-reflection on my own work and experience in the form of autoethnography. Because I am an Arab female cartoonist and researcher at the same time, I have a unique position within this project, as I can reflect upon the topic as a participant and as an observer.
Considering the scarcity of academic resources on cartoons in the Arab world, there is a need to increase and disseminate knowledge about Arab female cartoonists. Gaining better insights into the context of their work and the factors that influence their experiences may help future generations of female artists to find their authentic voice and their place within the field.
