Saudi Women's Self-Identity or Self- Awakening constructing between conservatism and modernisation

Abstract

Even in the 2020s, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most conservative Muslim states in the world, with significant limitations on women’s freedoms and rights. Against the backdrop of strong patriarchal rules that govern every aspect of women’s lives, the movement of Islamic feminism has started taking roots to enable Saudi women to seek liberation through non- aggressive means. Some of the first Saudi female activists emerged in the literature and film scene recently, with two of their works – Rajaa Al-Sanea’s Girls of Riyadh (2005) and Haifa Al Mansour’s Wadjda (2011) forming the main focus of this study. This research is built on Kate Chopin’s foundational concept of “awakening” to investigate Saudi women's empowerment by emphasising the influence of social and cultural performance on the steps and process of formation of female identity in Saudi Arabia. It analyses the historical, cultural, and social contexts of Saudi women from the 20th to the 21st century across various literary domains, including 20th-century novels and films, as well as 21st-century public figurs in the social media platforms. The study emphasises social and cultural performance while diminishing patriarchy through an examination of self-identity and self-awareness across three domains or process: Initially, the feminist Saudi women are represented in Raja Alsana's (2005) novel Girls of Riyadh; subsequently, in Haifa Al Mansour's (2012) film Wadjda; and ultimately, through the public portrayal of Saudi women as bloggers and activists on social media platforms. The study also explores how the Saudi policy, through Saudi Vision 2030, has played a vital role in changing the social and cultural performance to support the awakening of Saudi women in 21st century.