In an era where women had no voice in Egyptian politics, Huda Sha’arawi, an Egyptian astute feminist and activist for women vehemently changed the game for women in Egypt. Huda founded a number of organizations dedicated to women’s rights. She is widely regarded as the pacesetter of women’s movement in Egypt. In 1908 She co established Egypt’s first secular philanthropic organization run solely by Egyptian women. It was a medical dispensary for underprivileged women and children. This dispensary aided so many Egyptian women in getting the health care they needed. Although she was a staunch feminist, she collaborated with her husband Ali Sha’arawi in establishing the nationalist Wafd party in the quest of independence from the United Kingdom. As a part of her ambition, she established the Wafdist women’s central committee, giving women a place in politics.
The open participation of Egyptian women in the nationalist movement created a shift in Egyptian Society. Never had there been a phenomenally large amount of women publicly engaged in political activism in Egyptian history. After her husband’s death, Huda Sha’arawi shifted her focus from the nationalist movement to women’s equality. She founded the Egyptian Feminist Union in 1923 with the aim of achieving women’s right to vote in political elections by reforming personal status laws and expanding educational opportunities for young girls and women.
Throughout history Huda Sha’arawi has made a huge impact in women empowerment and several books, articles and journals about her life and purpose have been published in recent years.
