the mobilization of women in street demonstrations informal gatherings and online were often characterized by an overarching framework of dignity which transcended differences among religious and political positions this feature has been adopted and incorporated into many of the genderfocused groups that have been formed since the uprisings such as the cairobased harakat basma imprint movement box previously only a few wellknown intellectuals such as nawal alsa dawi and fatima mernissi were prepared to tackle such issues which most activists felt lay beyond the pale of social religious and cultural acceptability