It's "We're All Laila (Kolena Laila) convening for the third year and Laila is still facing the very same problems that made the campaign be launched since day one. Laila is the heroine of a novel entitled, The Open Door ("El Bab el Maftouh") by Latifa El Zayyat. Thus, Laila is chosen as an apt symbol for each and every Egyptian woman, trying to mould her independent personality in an oppressive society. Thanks to the media and Women's Rights Organizations, the awareness and acknowledgment of such existing problems have increased. Blogging has been a perfect means for girls and women to deliver their message, to open up and speak of their own problems as females, or what they face because of a deplorable political conditions in Egypt and the Arab world.
Laila's first year held the theme of speaking up! To give Laila a chance to speak what she faces as a female in the Egyptian society, and to put it the way she likes on her blog. Consequently, the idea was welcomed by many others, and they spoke of discrimination in upbringing, and what they face in the street, as harassment acts, etc. In displaying such issues, blogresses have used different literary styles, and tackled Laila's problems in urban as well as rural societies. Moreover, Arab blogresses have joined in, since the very first day. And indeed, Laila's first year had great effect and made an enormous echo, and in fact received various reactions. They varied from sympathy and acknowledgment of such problems, to being uncomfortable about separating women's problems from those facing the whole country, extending to absolute denial of such problems throwing them as groundless.
The theme of the second year was the rotating Tag, with numerous questions, spread among blogs, and publishing the answers from one's own perspective. And to reach an answer, a thinking process would precede it, which means re-evaluating ideas that have been taken for granted for a long time, and whether they still suit our current world or not. Hence, Laila's essence lies in the fact that it motivated other Lailas to find their own voices -out of their minds and hearts- and to speak openly of their problems as females without feelings of guilt, shame or fear of criticism.
Now, the third year of Laila brings about a wider range of participation to comprise other categories that do not have access to the internet, and still maintain the track line of the first year's theme. This year's theme is to gather audio testimonies and stories of elderly women, for instance grandmothers, and women who do not use the internet, due to social or economic reasons. Such authentic audio testimonies give an air of vividness and are rather expressive; they also stand as an audio archive of the experiences of older generations of mothers and grandmothers for generations to come. However, Laila's main track line is still there: to write or record Laila's problems and issues and having the speaking up opportunity.
Laila's third year has the privilege of a large number of male participation, men who are convinced with the existence of specific problems women face in the Egyptian society. Hence, it's a strong clarification that Laila was never against men, but rather against the patriarchical culture that highly evaluates man just because he's a male. Such a culture is unfortunately nurtured by women themselves, just as men, and is often reproduced in religious and cultural discourses, on the ground of preserving morals and societal values. Hardly anyone gives himself\herself the chance to re-evaluate such obsolete ideas and see how unfair they are, not dealing with the female as a full human being who has the absolute rights of thought and movement, and who is also fallible. Committing mistakes just like all men! Committing mistakes is nothing but a human characteristic, and it is the perfect means of learning, if given the chance away from fear and threats. Furthermore, such old ideas lend a deaf ear to the recent changes in the world, which requires much more flexibility and adaptation to change, rather than holding to rigid formula of life..for life never stops changing, after all!
Laila's Day is a call to review values and prevalent ideas related to females, and how society enacts them with no consideration of their impact on women themselves. The call here is not to propagate a certain value or culture, but it is rather a call to criticize and review our own daily behavior, with a true desire to change and purify our attitudes in life from tendencies of oppression that we consciously –and unconsciously- enact to the weaker side in the society, rather than confronting its real causes. Therefore, participation is open and welcoming each and everyone, from Egypt and Arab countries, men and women, bloggers and simple citizens whom we will voice and share their experience on the internet. Everyone is absolutely free to express their opinions the way they like, as long as they believe in such opinions, and are fully responsible for them on personal basis, and are ready to defend these opinions against whatever attacks or counter-opinions that they may face; and even one should have readiness for change and being convinced if one's opinion is proven wrong or incomplete.
And what's remarkable about the day, and comes at the first place, is the participation of such a large number of women and girls, whose hearts are opened on that same day, to share their secrets, feelings and problems, and thus diminishing the sense of estrangement or awkwardness of sole , individualistic complaints. This makes Laila feel that she's no longer alone in her feeling of suppression and inequality in the society…for after all, in one way or another.. We're All Laila!
