Egyptian article
“23 Egyptian women who made history” published by Egypt Streets in May 9, 14 and written by Farida M Ezzat, talks about successful Egyptian women who left an influential footprint in history.
In the beginning of the article there’s a brief introduction, saying that women a long time ago were second class citizens who never took credit for what they did, instead they stood in the background. Also their rights were categorized as unimportant. Due to all these circumstances many Egyptian women succeeded in many categories, such as sports, arts, businesses, ethics, politics and many more.
The author begins to list some of the successful Egyptian women and their quotes in a variety of categories.
First one in the list is Cleopatra who said “I will not be triumphed over.” Her statement is very strong which shows how powerful and confident she is. Cleopatra was the last active Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. She was a politician, mathematician and a businesswoman. She could speak nine languages which show how enlightened and well educated she was. Through this entire time people still know and remember her. This is an evidence of how influential she was. She protected entire Egypt from the vastly expanding Roman Empire.
Second one in the list is Lotfia El Nadi who said “It was my revolt, I had to do it.” She is proud of what she did through the years. She was the first licensed pilot Egyptian woman. She inspired other Egyptian woman to do their best in order to achieve their dreams.
Third one in the list is Jihan EL Midany who said “I want to prove that the veil doesn’t have to prevent girls from doing anything.” She is very motivational and believes in herself and all women. She was the first Egyptian woman to carry the national flag into the Olympic ceremony. She was a young eighteen years old woman who came in the 12th place.
Fourth one in the list is Mona El Tahawy. She was mentioned as being an example on the Egyptian woman to the rest of the world. She is a very unique Egyptian - American freelance journalist whose work appeared in many popular newspapers, such as The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald Tribune, U.S. News and World Report. She was also ranked in 2012 by Arabian Business to be the 30th most powerful Arab Woman.
Fifth one in the list is Tahany EL Gebali who said “Everything new is at first resented when women first went out to learn, people said it was the end of time, when they went out to work they said it would be the end of the world. But it wasn’t. And women have proven themselves in all fields.” This quote supports the idea that there’s nothing impossible and that everything is possible. There’s always a first time for everything. She was Egypt’s first female judge. She was also the first woman to be elected on the Permanent Bureau of the Union of Arab Lawyers. She was ranked on the world’s 100 most powerful Arab Woman by Arabian Business as the 23rd place. Nowadays she was appointed deputy president of Egypt’s supreme constitutional court.
Sixth one in the list is Nawal El Saadawi who said “To me, beauty means to be natural, creative, and honest –to say the truth.” She is an Egyptian women’s rights activist, author, physician and psychiatrist. She gave an extraordinary awareness of women’s rights by publishing many books pertaining to women and Islam. She was the founder of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and the co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights. She made a big influence on the arab world and won many awards, such as honorary degrees in three continents, North South prize from the Council of Europe in 2004 and the Inana International Prize in Belgium 2005.
Seventh one in the list is Hilana Sedarous. She was born in Tanta and was sent to study mathematics and medicine in London in 1922. She earned the doctoral in 1930 and became the first female Egyptian doctor.
Eighth one in the list is Yousra. She is the biggest female entertainer in the Arab World and star of the middle east. She began acting and making movies in the 70’s. She worked as an UN Goodwill Ambassador and was ranked as the 29th most influential Arab Woman by Arabian Business. She is very successful and gives other women motivation they can achieve their goals just like her. She was awarded more than 50 times which is a huge number.
Ninth one in the list is Umm Kulthum who said “My father was uneasy. The idea that his daughter should sing in front of men he didn’t know, was difficult for him to accept, but my singing helped support the family. So he dressed me in boy’s clothes, and I sand this way for several years. I realize now that he wanted to convince himself and the audience too, that the singer was a young boy, and not a young woman.” This short story gives all women the advice that they should show their talents for who they really are. They shouldn’t be afraid of anyone. Women with talents shouldn’t be underestimated nor hidden from the rest of the world. Umm Kulthum was an Egyptian singer, songwriter and actress. Her voice was very powerful that she was very popular among the whole world. Today she is regarded as the greatest female Arabic singer in history.
Tenth one in the list is Dalia Mogahed who said “ I can tell you character traits I admire and work to develop in myself –perseverance, self-discipline, courage to stand up for what is right even when it is against one’s friends or one’s self. She was the first veiled Muslim woman to hold a position in the White House. She was also selected to be Barack Obama’s advisor in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009 and was also the Executive Director of the Gallup American Centre for Muslim Studies. This woman is legendary. She definitely made the impossible be possible. She achieved success with a whole new level.
Eleventh one in the list is Anissa Hassouna who was the first woman elected on the board of the Egyptian council for foreign affairs. She is currently the executive director of Magdi Yacoub’s foundation, vice president of the board of the Egyptian organization for human rights, and is a lecturer at the banking institute in Cairo and the Diplomatic Institute.
Twelfths one in the list is Mervat Tallawy who said “In Egypt we are saying the fall of the existing system well be because of women. They don’t sit still at all. Their voice is very raised at demonstrations, singing petitions – they are everywhere. We will not accept the situation. We will fight it until the end. Either they will put us in jail or they will change their attitudes.” She is the former Under-Secretary General of the UN and former deputy director of the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. She was also Egypt’s Minister for Insurance and Social Affairs during 1997-1999 and served as ambassador to Japan and Austria. Recently, she was elected as the head of the National Council for Egyptian Women (NCEW).
The author of this article makes sure to always impress the reader by this interesting information. She states real facts which have a big influence on the reader. She is strait to the point that means the information is directly written so that the reader doesn’t get bored.
Thirteenth one in the list is Nadia Younes who was described to be one of the most respected, effective and charismatic officials. She worked for 33 years with the UN and the World Health Organization which is very long. This number of years proves her influential actions. She served as Deputy Spokeswoman for the Secretary-General from 1988 until 1993 and Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Rome. This woman achieved what other people though were impossible to even think of.
Fourteenth one in the list is Sameera Moussa who once said “I will make nuclear treatment as available as aspirin” With this statement she meant she will make the impossible happen. She is very confident of herself and aware of her power and influence. She was a nuclear scientist who dedicated her life to make medical nuclear power affordable to all and arranged the Atomic Energy for Peace Conference. She was awarded by the Egyptian Army, and the former President Anwar Sadat. All her accomplishments lead her to be categorized as a hero by all means.
Fifteenth one in the list is Kamilia Abdelfattah who is a pioneer in the field of child psychology. She was chosen as woman of the year in Whose Who UK encyclopedia 1997 and Cambridge university. She made the world notice the psychology of children with a different point of view.
Sixteenth one in the list is Farkhonda Hassan who once said “The objective now is not to renegotiate our dreams, but to emphasize the accountability of all actors. We are no longer seeking promises, but are demanding action.” She empowers the idea of taking action in order to achieve the dreams we are aiming. Having a dream without taking any action towards it is inefficient. She is a geology professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and is chair of the Commission on Human Development and Local Administration of the Shura Council. She has been a member of the National Council for Women in Egypt since 2000 and is currently the Gender Advisory Board of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development and Secretary-General. She continues to achieve more by working harder each day.
The seventeenth one in the list is Jehan Sadat who said “They put aside the talk of peace and instead acted for peace.” She is the former First Lady and widow of former President Anwar El Sadat. She changed the world’s view on Arab women by participating in volunteer work. Sadat also received many national and international awards for public service and humanitarian work with women and children. She was known for her hard work, willingness, humanity and purity. She has been awarded over 20 national and international honorary doctorate degrees from universities and institutions around the world. She was also the first female chairperson for the People’s Council of Munofeyya Provincial governorate and has been a visiting professor at many universities such as the University of South Carolina, Radford University and American Univeristy (AU). She is a great example for the Egyptian woman inspiring others by her success and her originality.
The eighteenth one in the list is Huda Sha’arwi who said “Men have singled out women of outstanding merit and put them on a pedestal to avoid recognizing the capabilities of all women.” She wanted to tell women that they have to show themselves, express their strengths and expand their talents, hard work and creativity. She was the founder of the Egyptian Feminist Union. In 1919 she helped organize one of the largest women’s anti-British protests of all time. After attending the International Woman Suffrage Alliance Congress in Rome, she made a conscious decision to remove her face veil, an act that would go down in history as one of the most defining moments of feminist resistance in Egypt. What she did was very strong and effective. She wasn’t afraid of the consequences as long as she was convinced of what she was doing. This is an example of a brave and courageous woman who stands for what is right.
The nineteenth one in the list is Gazbia Sirry who was a spokesperson of the people. She is a prominent artist and professor of fine arts. She is one of the most unique and different Egyptian artists of the past fifty years. Her work has been featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Art & Science Museum Evansville, Indiana; The National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington D.C.; and Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris. She won many awards from international universities one of which is the University of London.
The twentieth one in the list is Tahani Rached who once said “The message should be delivered that there is no art unless we have the freedom to construct that art.” She states that freedom is the reason for art. With freedom people can be creative and imaginative in their creations. She is an Egyptian filmmaker. She made many movies, such as Four Women of Egypt and her work gained several awards, such as Public Award in the International Documentary Film Festival.
The twenty first one in the list is Azza Fahmy who said “So I tied my hair back, put on my overalls and spent my days in a workshop full of men learning the tricks of the Jeweler making trade.” She meant by this quote that if you want something you will eventually do anything to get it. You have to work hard, be tired in order to achieve something big in the end. She is an iconic Egyptian jewelry designer who founded the Azza Fahmy Company. She began her work in a Khan El Khalili workshop. She has been featured globally in international Fashion Shows after forty years of work.
The twenty second in the list is Tahani Toson who a professional volleyball trainer and former player for the Egyptian National team and Al-Ahly Club. She was named most valuable player 35 times in just 18 years. She has led the Egyptian national team to 14 championship wins. Toson was named Ninth-Best Player during the 2003 World Cup in Japan and Fifth-Best Bulwark during the 1995 World Cup in Japan, also. In 2000, she was named “Player of the Century” in African Volleyball. She is a winner both nationally and internationally. She was the reason for the win of her team many times.
The twenty third one in the list is Durriya Shafiq who said “To want and to dare! Ever hesitate to act when the feeling of injustice revolts us. To give one’s measure with all good faith, the rest will follow as a logical consequence.” Durriya Shafiq was among the leaders of the women’s liberation movement that took place in Egypt during the 1940’s. She is women’s rights activist and is the reason women were given the right to vote by constitution. She played an important role in changing the perception of women rights.
Last but not least the editor’s choice is Faten Hamama who is lady of the Arab cinema. She is one of Egypt’s and the Arab world’s most prominent producers and actresses. She gained the title of ‘Star of the Century’ by the Egyptian Writers and Critics organization at the 2001 Alexandria International Film Festival. She was very talented and chose to play roles that represent women as independent and powerful, such as Sira Fi Al-Wadi.
She was very inspiring among the whole world not only the Arab World and she remains to be seen as one of the most important and inspiring actresses in the history.
The author of this article succeeded in delivering her message. She inspired and motivated the Egyptian women by showing them through many and many examples that everything can be done with hard work. The examples she was giving were very strong influential ones. Pictures were also displayed to make it easier for the readers to relate the words to pictures. Her way of presenting the message is very organized which helps the reader to follow the article easily. She ended the article by giving an extra example which is the editor’s choice.
The link of the national Egyptian article:
https://egyptianstreets.com/2014/05/09/23-egyptian-women-who-made-history/
