Arab Women Writers Reclaim the Body Through Literature

In her essay, Kaoutar Harchi explores how modern Arab women authors utilize fiction to challenge sexual repression and patriarchal dominance. The 8th-century nahda (Arab Renaissance) introduced a conflict between Western influences and traditional collective values, which Syrian critic Georges Tarabichi described as a 'profound anthropological wound.' Harchi highlights that writers such as Nawal el Saadawi, Ahlam Mosteghanemi, and Chahdortt Djavann focus on sexuality as a key subversive element. For instance, Alia Mamdouh's 'La Garçonne' (Actes Sud, 2012) narrates Sabiha's imprisonment post-1963 Iraqi coup for her communist love, while Malika Mokeddem's 'Mes hommes' (Grasset, 2005) promotes multiple relationships as a form of resistance. Harchi links these narratives to feminist theories by Fatema Mernissi and Houria Abdelouahed, who challenge the perception of the female body as 'awra' (shame).