Unfolding Transnational Female Networks: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia’s delegates at the first Afro-Asian Women’s Conference (1961)

Abstract

Taking its steps from Bandung Conference’s aftermath, the first Afro-Asian Women’s Conference (AAWC) held in Cairo in 1961 contributed to feminizing the Afro-Asian movement. This article focuses on the first AAWC, particularly examining the participation of Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, and Libyan delegates. Built on hitherto underexplored primary sources, it constitutes a first contribution in investigating the role of Maghrebi women in Afro-Asian solidarity networks. It highlights that the AAWC marked a significant moment of regional cohesion for Maghrebi women and discloses that Maghreb countries’ delegates voiced their respective countries’ positions on women emancipation. The article also discusses the Maghrebi delegates’ contribution to crafting a shared Afro-Asian women’s political agenda. Ultimately, it retraces the AAWC’s echo in the Maghreb during the following years.