The Faculty Seminar Series for Fall 2024 at The Africa Institute commences in September with a session featuring Dr. Maha Bashri, Associate Professor of Communication and MA Coordinator at United Arab Emirates University. The seminar, titled “Gendered Digital Citizenship: Redefining Civic Engagement in African Feminist Movements,” will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 (12 noon – 2:00 PM) at The Africa Institute – Auditorium (location map). This public event offers free admission. Register to attend.
This seminar will examine the rise of gendered digital citizenship within African feminist movements, using Sudan as a case study. It will explore how digital platforms are transforming concepts of citizenship and civic engagement for women in contexts marked by political instability, conflict, and entrenched patriarchal systems. Utilizing Cammaerts’ (2012) mediation opportunity structure framework and Hammett’s (2014) concept of activist citizenship, the seminar will analyze the digital strategies employed by three notable women’s rights organizations. Through qualitative analysis, it will investigate how these organizations utilize digital spaces to address intersections of gender, class, and ethnicity, advocating for a more inclusive model of citizenship.
The research will discuss how digital spaces enable women in African contexts to challenge traditional, state-centric definitions of citizenship and create alternative platforms for civic participation and identity formation. It will argue that these digital environments foster an evolving form of gendered digital citizenship that extends beyond legal rights to include social, cultural, and economic dimensions of belonging. Additionally, the research will highlight ongoing challenges, such as digital divides and the potential reinforcement of existing power structures, that complicate the realization of inclusive gendered digital citizenship. The seminar will conclude by reflecting on the broader implications of gendered digital citizenship for women’s civic engagement in African contexts, emphasizing the need for strategies that integrate local digital ecologies with global gender and rights discourses. Drawing on the works of scholars such as Jayal (2013) and Chari (2009) on differentiated and gendered citizenship in postcolonial settings, this exploration contributes to the evolving discourse on how digital technologies are reshaping the relationship between gender, citizenship, and civic engagement in Africa.
Maha Bashri is an Associate Professor of Communication and MA Coordinator at United Arab Emirates University. She holds a Ph.D. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. Bashri’s research focuses on the impact of media and communication on social change, with particular emphasis on African and Middle Eastern contexts. Her work investigates digital media and civic engagement, the representation of marginalized groups, and grassroots mobilization. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and co-edited the book “Minority Women and Western Media: Challenging Representation and Articulating New Voices.” Her recent research examines gendered digital citizenship in African contexts, contributing to discussions on how digital technologies are transforming the relationship between gender and citizenship in postcolonial settings.
Bashri also serves as Chair of the James W. Markham Research Competition for the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance’s Africa Chapter, where she bridges academic research with practical applications in media literacy and communication for social change. Her work reflects a commitment to understanding and addressing global communication challenges, with a focus on the Global Majority.
Elizabeth W. Giorgis is a Professor of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah. Read more.
Through these lectures and workshops, The Africa Institute reaffirms its mission as a center for the study and research of Africa and its diaspora and its commitment to the training of a new generation of critical thinkers in African and African Diaspora studies.
The seminar will be in English.
The session is free and open to the public. Registration is mandatory, Read more
The Faculty Seminar Series for Fall 2024 at The Africa Institute commences in September with a session featuring Dr. Maha Bashri, Associate Professor of Communication and MA Coordinator at United Arab Emirates University. The seminar, titled “Gendered Digital Citizenship: Redefining Civic Engagement in African Feminist Movements,” will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 (12 noon – 2:00 PM) at The Africa Institute – Auditorium (location map). This public event offers free admission. Register to attend.
The Faculty Seminar Series for Fall 2024 at The Africa Institute commences in September with a session featuring Dr. Maha Bashri, Associate Professor of Communication and MA Coordinator at United Arab Emirates University. The seminar, titled “Gendered Digital Citizenship: Redefining Civic Engagement in African Feminist Movements,” will be held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 (12 noon – 2:00 PM) at The Africa Institute – Auditorium (location map). This public event offers free admission. Register to attend.
This seminar will examine the rise of gendered digital citizenship within African feminist movements, using Sudan as a case study. It will explore how digital platforms are transforming concepts of citizenship and civic engagement for women in contexts marked by political instability, conflict, and entrenched patriarchal systems. Utilizing Cammaerts’ (2012) mediation opportunity structure framework and Hammett’s (2014) concept of activist citizenship, the seminar will analyze the digital strategies employed by three notable women’s rights organizations. Through qualitative analysis, it will investigate how these organizations utilize digital spaces to address intersections of gender, class, and ethnicity, advocating for a more inclusive model of citizenship.
The research will discuss how digital spaces enable women in African contexts to challenge traditional, state-centric definitions of citizenship and create alternative platforms for civic participation and identity formation. It will argue that these digital environments foster an evolving form of gendered digital citizenship that extends beyond legal rights to include social, cultural, and economic dimensions of belonging. Additionally, the research will highlight ongoing challenges, such as digital divides and the potential reinforcement of existing power structures, that complicate the realization of inclusive gendered digital citizenship. The seminar will conclude by reflecting on the broader implications of gendered digital citizenship for women’s civic engagement in African contexts, emphasizing the need for strategies that integrate local digital ecologies with global gender and rights discourses. Drawing on the works of scholars such as Jayal (2013) and Chari (2009) on differentiated and gendered citizenship in postcolonial settings, this exploration contributes to the evolving discourse on how digital technologies are reshaping the relationship between gender, citizenship, and civic engagement in Africa.
Maha Bashri is an Associate Professor of Communication and MA Coordinator at United Arab Emirates University. She holds a Ph.D. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. Bashri’s research focuses on the impact of media and communication on social change, with particular emphasis on African and Middle Eastern contexts. Her work investigates digital media and civic engagement, the representation of marginalized groups, and grassroots mobilization. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and co-edited the book “Minority Women and Western Media: Challenging Representation and Articulating New Voices.” Her recent research examines gendered digital citizenship in African contexts, contributing to discussions on how digital technologies are transforming the relationship between gender and citizenship in postcolonial settings.
Bashri also serves as Chair of the James W. Markham Research Competition for the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance’s Africa Chapter, where she bridges academic research with practical applications in media literacy and communication for social change. Her work reflects a commitment to understanding and addressing global communication challenges, with a focus on the Global Majority.
Elizabeth W. Giorgis is a Professor of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at The Africa Institute, Global Studies University, Sharjah. Read more.
Through these lectures and workshops, The Africa Institute reaffirms its mission as a center for the study and research of Africa and its diaspora and its commitment to the training of a new generation of critical thinkers in African and African Diaspora studies.
The seminar will be in English.
The session is free and open to the public. Registration is mandatory, Read more
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