Female protesters of The Arab Spring (52 images)

Large numbers of people have taken to the streets in protest against corrupt and authoritarian governments. Photographs of male protesters have dominated the headlines, but women have also played an important and undeniable role in the protests. To some, the involvement of women may be a surprise, but it is clear they are active and playing a pivotal role in their country's history.

An Egyptian protester holds a Christian cross and the Koran, Islam's holy book, while others shout slogans at Cairo's Tahrir Square on March 11, 2011 as hundreds of Egyptians demonstrated against sectarianism, following religious clashes that left at least 13 people dead. UPI/Mohammed Hosam

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Egyptian anti-government demonstrators they gather at Cairo's Tahrir square on February 6, 2011 on the 13th day of protests calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. UPI

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Palestinians attend a protest calling for the reopening of a border with Gaza in Rafah, southern Gaza on February 21, 2009. The protest was organized by the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). The Rafah crossing is Gaza's only border crossing with Egypt, (UPI Photo/Ismael Mohamad)

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Women celebrate the revolution against Moammar Gadhafi's regime and ask for more women's rights in Tripoli, Libya, Sept. 2, 2011. Rebel forces are advancing toward Moammar Gadhafi's hometown Sirte despite the extension of a deadline for the town's surrender, rebel officials said Friday. UPI/Tarek Elframawy..

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