The Politics of Appearance: Fashion as Symbolic Resistance Against Autocracies in the Middle East and North Africa

Author: Neena Paulson

Field of Study: Political Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 57

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: Resistance is often understood as highly visible and organized, mainly through mass protests. However, this framework can be limited in an autocracy where surveillance is pervasive, and public displays of dissent are met with heavy repression. This is especially true in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), where women are marginalized and excluded from most opportunities for power. In these contexts, gender is central to authoritarian control. Given that women’s bodies are regarded as a site of contestation, clothing can become integral to countering oppression. Through the comparative analysis of MENA countries, drawing on historical circumstances, interviews, and other secondary sources, this research will examine whether fashion can function as effective symbolic resistance. This research hypothesizes that fashion can enable gradual yet meaningful resistance, allowing individuals to counter oppressive regimes. It complicates the assumption that high-visibility protests equate directly to political effectiveness. By doing so, it contributes to current literature by analyzing the extent to which clothing can be utilized as a deliberate and sustainable political strategy.