THE ARAB Spring that has resulted in deep-rooted upheavals in many countries in the past few days in the Middle East has probably done very little for women in that part of the world. Even women who support the cause of democratisation feel that the Arab Spring is not about gender equality but about regimes. Inspite of this, emancipation of women was expected in the Middle East after Saudi King Abdullah announced in May that the nation’s women will gain the right to vote and run as candidates in local elections to be held in 2015. However, as per reports in rediff.com, nothing much has changed, at least in Iran, where on Saturday an Iranian actress was arrested and sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for working in a controversial film. The actress would go down in history for being amongst the brave few to follow her heart in a country where women are clearly not supposed to have a heart. It is sad that women in these countries are so conditioned that they themselves do not realise their own rights.