Qandisha is a French language online magazine for women in Morocco and the wider Arab world. It was founded in 2011 by Fedwa Misk, a Moroccan journalist, feminist, and women's rights activist, and a group of other women concerned that women's rights were being ignored by the media during the Arab Spring.[1] The publication is a hybrid between a magazine and a webzine, and is a collaborative effort, encouraging participation from its readers.
Qandisha was established in 2011 and is published in French. The name is derived from Qandisa, a female jinn from Moroccan folklore.[2] The magazine focuses on a range of subjects including political and social current events. In an interview, Fedwa Misk stated "We want to give a boost to all the women who want to discuss and comment on current events, whether political or social – to encourage women to speak up. In our Arab Muslim conservative countries, women are less inclined to make their voices heard."[3] The magazine is developing video and audio content in both French and Darija, a colloquial form of Arabic.[1] The magazine often covers controversial subjects and the website has been hacked on more than one occasion.[4]