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Qandisha

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Qandisha is a French language online magazine for women in Morocco and the wider Arab world. It was founded in 2011 by Fedwa Misk, a Moroccan journalist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and a group of other women concerned that women's rights were being ignored by the media during the Arab Spring.[1] The publication is a hybrid between a magazine and a webzine, and is a collaborative effort, encouraging participation from its readers.

History and profile

Qandisha was established in 2011 and is published in French. The name is derived from Qandisa, a female jinn from Moroccan folklore.[2] The magazine focuses on a range of subjects including political and social current events. In an interview, Fedwa Misk stated "We want to give a boost to all the women who want to discuss and comment on current events, whether political or social – to encourage women to speak up. In our Arab Muslim conservative countries, women are less inclined to make their voices heard."[3] The magazine is developing video and audio content in both French and Darija, a colloquial form of Arabic.[1] The magazine often covers controversial subjects and the website has been hacked on more than one occasion.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Misk, Fedwa (2015). "Qandisha". Journal of Middle East Women's Studies. 11 (2): 246–247.
  2. ^ Boyet, Antoine. "Qandisha, la libre parole marocaine" (in French). Le Journal International. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  3. ^ "'Qandisha', the Women's Webzine that is Ruffling Feathers in Morocco". Just a Platform. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  4. ^ "The struggle for women's rights in Morocco: an interview with Fedwa Misk". World Policy Institute. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.