Meet Majida, Jordan’s veiled feminist heroine

Majida, a fictional comic heroine, has become Jordan’s latest figure to challenge the country’s male-dominated society.

The comic strip of Yawmiyat Majida (Majida’s Diaries) is increasingly becoming a strong voice representing the everyday struggles of strong, independent Jordanian women, in a witty and humorous way.

Majida, the main antagonist of the comic, wears a headscarf, but it does not hinder her portrayal as a strong young woman who uses a lot of humorous Jordanian slang when commentating on daily struggles of the Jordanian woman, Your Middle East reported this week.

Created by graphic designer Ahmad Qatato, Majida’s Diaries depicts the life of a strong, ambitious and independent Arab woman living in a society infested with double standards, which contradicts her.

For Instance, Majida’s mother encourages her to excel in her university education, and supports her, but also complains about Majdia’s stubbornness.

Majida’s Diaries tackles several social topics in the Jordanian society, mainly touching upon controversial feminist issues.

This is one of the first female comic characters to surface or become relatively popular in Jordan, as most comics, including a very popular male character –Abu Mahjoob – represent the average Jordanian man, in a male-dominating society where women play a more irrational, emotional and mainly secondary roles.