THE ORIGINS OF FEMINISM

We often hear and witness in the media that we are presented that women are inferior, without rights and votes, often ostracising an entire nation. But what are the origins of these issues; where do they stem from? These are questions that are rooted in historical education, merely not accepting what we are told, but questioning the unknown, seeking answers for the underlying factors, what lies underneath the surface. As spoken by Alanoud Alsharekh ‘a common theme across the region has been the intersection between women’s demands for more rights and the history of colonisation’.

Rooted inherently in the Middle East’s history books is its occupation by western forces. It has been argued by many historical theorists that women have been hindered by colonial forces, and that there is immense intersectionality within these though processes. The two facets of colonialism and its effects intersecting with the feminist movement is something that has been observed and analysed over the past few years. Social constructs were shaped and instilled in society through the colonial powers. Colonialisation thereby instituted the basis of the European model of patriarchy as the leading gender which was then deciphered as the means against which all others were judged, raising the profile of the coloniality of gender concept. According to postcolonial and feminist scholars, many nations continue to mistreat women long after they gained independence due to both patriarchal and colonial authority. As a result, both male authority and imperialism dominate women. One Middle Eastern nation after another was colonised by the European powers. In 1830, France took over Algeria, and nine years later, Britain took over Aden located in Yemen. Egypt was taken over in 1881, Tunisia in 1882, Libya in 1912, and Morocco in 1912.

Islam was introduced to the Arab Peninsula in the seventh century, and it became ground-breaking. Islam revolutionised women's role in society, as unlike any force before, as it uplifted their status in both the public and domestic spheres, and declared them as morally equal in God's view. Islam provided women with rights that men must fulfil upon them, such as the dowry, inheritance, and financial maintenance in divorce, and condemned the practice of female infanticide and abuse. Women have done a lot to gain every little bit of freedom they have, they have fought for it, and they have paid a high price for it too.

Often people perceive that because of the colonialisation of these parties, the ethos of restricting and tying female voices down has been unfortunately perpetuated as it has manifested long after independence has been gained for these Middle Eastern countries.

1907:

THE FIRST FEMALE EGYPTIAN TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL AND RECEIVE A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE WAS NABAWIYA MOUSSA. BEFORE ANOTHER EGYPTIAN GIRL RECEIVES THIS DEGREE, 21 YEARS WILL PASS. THROUGHOUT HER LIFE, MOUSSA HAS BEEN A TRAILBLAZER IN THE FIELD OF WOMEN'S EDUCATION, ADVOCATING FOR IT THROUGH HER TEACHING, WRITING, AND SPEAKING.

1969-74:

A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, GOLDA MEIR, WHO WAS RAISED IN MILWAUKEE AND LEFT FOR PALESTINE IN 1921. MEIR SUCCEEDED LEVI ESHKOL AS PRIME MINISTER IN 1969 AFTER SERVING IN THE FIRST ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SINCE 1948 AS AN AMBASSADOR, A MEMBER OF THE KNESSET, AND FOREIGN MINISTER FOR TEN YEARS.

1840: WOMEN'S RIGHTS TIMELINE

THE EMINENT FEMALE POET AND AUTHOR AISHA TAYMUR WAS BORN IN EGYPT.

AISHA TAYMUR PARTOOK IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY FIGHT FOR WOMEN'S INDEPENDENCE. SHE IS A KEY PLAYER IN THE INTELLECTUAL AND CULTURAL UPRISING OF THE ARAB WORLD.

1923:

FOLLOWING A FEMINIST MEETING IN ROME, 3 PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE EGYPTIAN WOMEN'S MOVEMENT REMOVE THEIR HEADSCARVES IN CAIRO. HUDA SHAARAWI, CEZA NABARAWI, AND NABAWIYA MOUSSA PROUDLY REMOVED THEIR HIJABS TO SIGNIFY THEIR EMANCIPATION AT THE CAIRO TRAIN STATION. THEY WANTED CHANGES TO THE LAWS GOVERNING MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, CHILD CUSTODY, AS WELL AS THE RIGHT TO VOTE.