Throughout history, women have fought for equal treatment and rights. In Egypt, significant progress has been made, with women now commonly attending university. However, traditional views still persist in some communities, where women face harassment and the expectation that their primary roles are in the home. Overall though, Egyptian women today are well-educated and participate fully in the workforce across many fields, with equal pay and opportunities, demonstrating that women have rightfully earned their place in society.

1. Breaking through the Barriers
Throughout history, women have been forced to prove themselves to society repeatedly.
They have revolted, rebelled and pleaded just to be treated as equal. It has been a long
and tumultuous struggle, but one that has not been carried out in vain. Clearly, by
looking at different cultures around the globe, it is with pride to see that they have taken
their rightful place in the social order beside the men and established their equality while
making amazing accomplishments in the process, even in the Middle East where false
preconceptions of women forced to cover up and stay in their homes are still aired
worldwide.
In Egypt, for example, it is now taken for granted that women will go to college. Most go
on to pursue their Master and Doctorate degrees, and this is in a country where women
were not allowed on campus a mere eight decades ago (The first female students
entered Cairo University in 1928). Today, they have become teachers, lawyers and
everything in between. They have proven that once given the chance, they can do an
equal, if not a better, job than their male counterparts. But that was not always the case.
There were times when women were looked at solely as objects of pleasure or as wives
to cook, clean and bring babies. There were fathers who forbade their daughters from
learning. There were husbands who prevented their wives from working.
The oppression became so stifling that a rebellion arose from the anger. Women spoke
out and forced society to listen. There were many revolutions made in the first half of the
twentieth century led by great advocates of women’s liberation. Among them were two
strong women, Huda Sha'rawi and Nabawya Moussa, who made it their mission to get
women into schools and universities. Sha'rawi attained this goal with the founding of the
Egyptian Feminist Union (EFU) on March 16, 1923, while Moussa achieved it in 1920
when she established an open primary school for girls with the cooperation of "Girl
Promotion" Society in Alexandria. There was also a daring man – Qasim Amin – who
wrote many books on the inequalities forced on women. In his famous book, "Al-Mar’a
Al-Jadida" (The New Woman), he urges society to crush its ignorance by encouraging
women to read and learn. He argued that the only way to change the future of the nation
for the better is to have thinking, well-educated women be part of that change. His
dreams were fulfilled in 1924 when the government declared elementary education was
to be free and obligatory for both genders. The first government high school for girls
opened in 1921 and the first female students entered Cairo University in 1928. Many
people thought these world-shattering men and women foolish. Now they are deemed
heroes.
With the turn of the twenty-first century, it is evident that women’s liberation has made a
lot of advancements in the Middle East. There are husbands who gladly stay with the
kids an extra hour, do the laundry and prepare dinner so their wives can pursue their
careers. There are women who are veiled and know the Quran by heart, yet are still avid
fans of Oprah and opt for the latest in fashion, music and movies. However no matter
how carefree they may be, there is still a stack of duties they must deal with. Today,
women have to juggle the responsibilities of work and home, with little help from her
husbands. The modern, Middle Eastern woman possesses the right to read, study and
work in any field and yet, in spite of that, there still remain certain aspects that have
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2. been slow in the face of progress. While it is true that Egyptian men have become more
open-minded and more liberated in terms of how they view women in general, they still
have some strong-held, Middle Eastern, opinions that will continue to dominate their
thinking for some time to come.
In a country that practices the religion that has been called “a true inspiration for the 21st
century” by Yvonne Ridley, it is a shame that these men have gone astray from the time
when Islam was carried out as Allah ordained; with fairness and dignity. The Quran says
time and again that every individual (Muslim or not) is entirely equal in worth, spirituality
and responsibility. It urges Muslims, both men and women, to read, learn and work. It is
by understanding the Quran that we get to see how women are given fair rights to own
property in all its aspects, to get a non-discriminatory opportunity in education, and the
right to obtain a divorce. The Quran goes as far as having a chapter entitled Women,
with all the details needed by any civilization – past or present – to carry out an
unprejudiced and impartial treatment of its female citizens. Under the schooling of
Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be upon Him) in the 7th
century A.D. and through the
teachings of Islam, people learned how indispensable women were to society. Women
held positions of high regard in the community. They tutored men and women in
literature, rhetoric and poetry. They were doctors, soldiers, market inspectors and aids to
various caliphs. Unfortunately, a good deal of this is not carried out in modern Egypt
where a secular government reigns. Instead of understanding Islam as it should be,
there are those (both in the Middle East and outside it) who choose to interpret the
Quran based on their own limited understanding, debasing all its fine meanings in the
process.
For example, men have been known, on occasion, to disregard opinions and outlooks
held by women, unless they are given by a woman in a high position or one that has
proven herself time and again to the surrounding males. Appearances count for a lot and
there are various things that greatly upset those who believe in the conformity of women
and of upholding the traditional values of society. This is why any woman seen in the
street late at night (from midnight onwards) by herself, with girlfriends, or even with her
children could get a lot of bad glances while the rate of neighborly gossip would soar
high. In her home, she is the one responsible for preparing dinner and bringing it to the
table. Also, there are salesmen who respond better to male customers, and in some
bureaucratic offices, things may get done faster if you are a man.
Another example is the harassment women must endure in the workplace and on the
street. It is a shameful act that is present everywhere in the world, but in a country that
contains a majority of religious men and women – Muslims and non-Muslims – it is
something that is not supposed to happen. Regrettably, it does. A look, a phrase or the
grazing of a hand may be some of the things a woman might encounter from her male
colleagues. It is also some of the things she might come across as she is walking in the
street. The worst part is that it does not matter if this woman is veiled or not. If she is a
woman, then she ought to put up with it. What's more, women drivers are disliked;
nothing is ever done to pester or harm them, but if she gets herself in a fix, men view it
as something that was bound to happen since she is a woman.
On the other hand, and this is very important to remember, this kind of behavior is not
customary. It occurs mostly where people are sticklers for tradition which is in scattered
regions of the country. These people, more often than not, resent the fact that women
are leaving their homes, entering the workplace and putting themselves alongside the
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3. men; something which they believe is dishonorable. There may very well be solid
reasons behind this type of thinking. It could be their way of protecting their wives and
daughters from being exposed to the repressive ways of men, or it could be due to the
extremely chivalrous way of Middle Eastern thinking which claims that it is exclusively
the man’s job to provide for the family. Yet no matter what the reasons, they do not
justify the means.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the American feminist and social reformers, sums it up nicely by
saying, “[The] Woman feels the invidious distinctions of sex exactly as the black man
does those of color.” Will that feeling ever go away for all women? Will there come a
time when women are treated as fellow human beings and not as inferior? The answers
to these questions will have to remain in the dark for now, in bright contrast to the
women of Egypt who are in the spotlight, making themselves heard, taking what is rightly
theirs.
Nevertheless, it is safe to say that no matter what they must endure, Egyptian women
today are intelligent, self-assured and well-educated. And they have been described as
such since the days of Cleopatra. To call an Egyptian woman frail would be like calling
Xena inept. They are very fluent in all topics, including those supposedly labeled “male”
as sports, politics, finance, etc. They enjoy a wide range of social activities with no
inhibitions whatsoever, as long as it does not interfere with the teachings of religion. This
is one of the reasons why people feel Egypt is a safe country to live in, among them
many Americans and Europeans; it is a tight-knit community where things are
predictable and safe.
A substantial percentage of these women finish their schooling, some even go on to
graduate school, and no profession frowns upon women employees. Furthermore,
regardless of the type of job, men and women work the same hours, get equal
opportunities and, more importantly, equal pay. I think the latter is, by far, the most
important aspect because it says to the world that no matter how people may still view
women, Egypt is a country that holds the equality of women in the workplace sacred as
well as self-evident. In fact, there are many women in Egypt today who have gone into a
multitude of male-dominated fields and proven their efficiency. They have become bank
managers, deans, surgeons, best-selling authors, ambassadors, scientists, television
producers, anchorwomen, judges, government officials…The list grows longer each day
and with it, grows the responsibilities these women must accept. Yet, with the realization
that theirs is a winning battle, they are adamant in the face of the challenge.
-- Dalia AbdelMegeed
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