Strength of Women in Wadjda

For my post, I wanted to discuss the strength in women in the movie we watched in class, Wadjda.
The women I am going to focus on are Wadjda, her mother, and her mother's friend. These three women at some point or another show the resistance against a male-dominated society and culture. They show examples of rising from defeat, looking out for themselves, and pushing toward their end goals.

First off, as a seemingly insignificant character, we see Wadjda's mother's friend get a new job at the hospital across the street. She says that the commute is easier, and the conditions of the job are just overall better. When Wadjda and her mother walk into the hospital near the end of the movie, we see how upset her mom becomes when she discovers her friend isn't wearing anything to cover her face in public. I view this as a type of strength in her because she can step away from the norms of the society and does as she pleases in a work environment that is good for her.

As for Wadjda's mom, we see strength throughout. Clearly, at the end of the movie she finds the strength to go against gender norms and allow Wadjda to own a bike, and then buys it for her. She also sticks up for herself against the way her driver treats her and talks to her, as well as her husband. Ultimately, when her husband leaves her, she finds strength in Wadjda to keep her moving forward and to do everything she can to make sure they are happy and not let it affect their everyday life.

Finally, Wadjda proves to be one of the strongest characters in the movie. She studies the Quran for a competition, just to earn money to get a bike. She makes her own bracelets and sells them to earn money as well. Her strength is shown through her will to reach her goal. She doesn't take no for an answer, finds a thrill in proving herself against men, and looks out for herself and her mother.

These characters represent a population of women who are battling an inner-struggle to overcome gender norms and better life for themselves. In a culture where they are given little voice or no voice at all, these three women find the strength to push through that barrier and create their own.