Egypt feminism

In: The Middle East, Heft 148, S. 17-18

Abstract

A report on the intellectual debate and the split inside the Egyptian feminist movement. Two main camps are distinguished: one that believes in working exclusively on women's issues and is led by Nawal el-Sa'adawi, and another which insists on placing those issues alongside class struggle and is led by Fathia el-Assal and her socalled Progressive Women's Union. As the author reports there is much criticism among Egyptian women that both organisations and their leaders are too preoccupied with intellectual debate. As is also shown, however, feminism does introduce into the Egyptian political arena issues which had been excluded before but that are central to the lives of the Egyptian people. (DÜI-Asd)