Feminist e-activism in the age of pandemic and beyond: virtual crafts with women in care shelters in Alexandria, Egypt

Seeking alternative ways for conducting feminist-inspired research with difficult to reach community groups, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, this paper proposes a model for virtual cultural engagement connected to resilience building. The insights are drawn from a case study of craft making with young women living in sheltered accommodation, carried out in 2021 and 2022 in disadvantaged neighbourhoods across Alexandria, Egypt. The case study illustrates how hybrid formats of cultural engagement can support target groups in developing their own resilience outcomes. As the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated existing gender inequalities, this paper highlights the role of e-activism in challenging the regressive effects of low socio-economic status that disproportionately impacts women, here specifically concerning the wellbeing of young women in care shelters. Findings foreground some of the ways in which crafts-based pathways can be utilized, enabling women empowerment and gender equality in developing contexts.