Vol.14,No.1 | [Article] The Feminist Movement in Post Ottoman Egypt - Revisiting the Contributions of non-Muslim

The rise of Egyptian nationalism gave a momentum to the women’s struggle in alignment to the fight for independence. Hence, the history of Egyptian women’s awakening can be read parallel to the history of modern Egyptian nationalism. In this article, there is a spotlight on the efforts of non-Muslim women, either Egyptian or foreigner, who were pioneers in leading women’s advancement in Egypt. However, these women were less celebrated in the writings of Egyptian history either in Egypt or in the West, in comparison to Muslim pioneers. Few of the non-Muslim pioneers are scarcely mentioned in many secondary sources of the Egyptian feminism history without referring to their different identity and their belonging to a minority. Sometimes they are mentioned in the history of education or advancement of a certain industry without referring to their leading roles in advancing the lives of Egyptian women in general. In this article, the legacy of non-Muslim women and their contribution to the women movement in Post Ottoman Egypt will be revisited.