Casting off the Veil: The Life of Huda Shaarawi, Egypt's First Feminist

by Sania Sharawi Lanfranchi

Born into a wealthy and powerful Egyptian family, Huda Shaarawi was destined to lead a leisurely life in luxurious settings. She decided instead to acquire an education and to participate in the liberation of Egypt from the British occupation. Huda became famous overnight when she led a peaceful walk of veiled women across Cairo in 1919 to free the leaders of the Egyptian resistance who were detained by the British forces. She was then invited by the members of the Bureau of the IAWS (International Alliance for Women's Suffrage) to participate in the international conference in Rome in 1923. Huda became the lifelong friend of Western and other feminist leaders at that conference. It was after this conference in Cairo when she and her two traveling companions removed their face veil upon leaving the train at the railway station and were spontaneously imitated by all the other women in what became a landmark gesture in Egyptian history. In 1923, Huda founded the Egyptian Feminist Union affiliated to the IAWS, and began publishing a French magazine, L'Egyptienne, to circulate information about Egypt's plight and achievements under the occupation, and to promote peace between Eastern and Western countries. She soon became - and remained for many years - one of the Vice-Presidents of the International Organization of Women. Huda Shaarawi alternated political advocacy with social and cultural projects. She spoke on behalf of the Arab and African peoples in International Fora, founding two magazines in Arabic to circulate information in her area of the world. Huda founded schools, supported artists, medical dispensaries, and cottage industries, and participated in funding the establishment of the first entirely Egyptian Bank and its many affiliated projects. A promoter of progress, Huda stubbornly and tirelessly advocated peace, justice, and equality in an increasingly violent world.

Genres: Feminism, History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Egypt

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sara Razek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, and should be read in conjunction with Huda Sha’rawi’s autobiography, especially that this book is written by Sha’rawi’s granddaughter, and in many ways fills in the gaps left by Sha’rawi’s own reticence about some personal episodes and the rather fragmented nature of her memoir.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As amazing of a Biography that I have ever read, up there with Wild Swans by Jung Chang (a masterpiece of detail and craft). The author, Sharawi Lanfranchi, did an excellent job of personalizing the struggle and sharing Huda’s life in all its complexity. While almost every paragraph of the book contains a change in subject matter or a new event, all are easy to follow, and extremely engaging.

Through the history of Huda Shaarawi’s life, I learned the history of Egypt as a nation under colonialism and British occupation. I learned about Egyptian political parties and factions among the people, and how political tactics intertwine to support marginalized groups : the effect of boycotts; the development of local industry, Palestinian solidarity, lobbying for women’s rights, education, and independence.

The author does an excellent job intertwining the early days of Egyptian feminism with decolonialism and nationalism. Early on you will realize that you love Huda Shaarawi, a complex, charismatic, force of nature.

[Hala · Rating 5 out of 5]

من أمتع ما قرأت من فترة فيما يتعلق بالحركة النسائية فى أوائل القرن.
كتاب بيتناول جانب حيوي مهم تم تجاهله فى كتب التاريخ و انقاص من أهميته على مدى السنين.قصة كفاح هدي شعراوي ،سيزا نبراوى، نبوية موسى، ملك حفنى ناصف و غيرهم من سيدات افنوا حياتهم لدعم النسوية و رفع صوت السيدات في المجتمع، المعني الحقيقي ل empowering women. مش مجرد شعارات او حملات و لكن اعمال و جهود و كفاح على مدي سنين. و من المؤسف إنه لا يوجد صور أو وثائق للسيدات توثق أعمالهم و
جهدهم عبر التاريخ، رغم وجود كاميرات سينمائيه و صحافة قوية وقتها.
Highly recommended