Nabawiyya Musa

Nabawiyya Musa (December 17, 1886 - 1951) is recognized as one of the founding feminists of the 20th century in Egypt. She is often partnered with Huda Sharawi and Malak Hifni Nasif as all three of these women gave lectures and put on other events to further education, health and reduce sexual exploitation among other things for women.¹ She grew up in Alexandria and was part of the middle-class. Along with being an avid educator she wrote and published articles such as “al-Ayat al –badyyina fi tarbiya al-banat" (a treatise on girls’ education) in 1902, "al-Mar’a wa-l-‘amal" (Woman and Work) in 1920 as well as editing a woman’s page for al-Balagh al-usbui (The Weekly News).²

Education

Nabawiyya Musa was one of the first and last woman to complete the education exam and be accepted into the Saniyya School under colonial rule because of their fear of women becoming too powerful in a society led by men. In her childhood her brother helped her learn to read and write at home; while she taught herself Math principles. By the time she turned thirteen she was keen on continuing her school education but her family refused, thus defying the established social norms of the time she stole her mother's stamp and sold her gold bracelet to apply for school and went on with her studies secretly against her family's wishes. She finished her High School education in 1907 to become the first girl ever to finish high school in Egypt. In 1908 she finished her degree in education and went on to be a prominent educator for the middle-class and an advocate for women’s rights. It was not until after 1922 that more women were let into the newly established Egyptian University and by this time Nabawiyya Musa was a key lecturer and leader among her colleagues.³

Career

Nabawiyya Musa was an avid writer and educator who gave lectures around Egypt advocating for the education of women. She believed strongly that educated women would only improve the state by being able to be independent, bring in money for the household as middle-class women and/or raise their children to be independent so they could grow up to be assets to society. She believed strongly that the lack of hierarchy in the peasant and lower classes was actually a good model of how women can be an asset to work and equal opportunities with men. She also believed that the differences between men and women were nothing but a social construct and could easily be broken with time. Through giving women and education she sought to end sexual violence against women. She believed that by giving women an equal status in the workforce and in education would make them less vulnerable and less prone to sexual violence.⁴

The Feminist Movement

Nabawiyya Musa was an integral part in the feminist movement in Egypt. She stood out because many of her views echoed nationalism as well as equal opportunities for women. Along with highlighting the education of women, she was also a leading role model in breaking down the social constructs of women. She and her partners in the feminist movement believed that a radical call for unveiling of women was not needed in the beginning of the movement because Egypt was not ready to accept it. However, after attending a conference in Rome in 1923, she along with Huda Shaarawi and Ceza Nabarawi came back to Egypt unveiled as a proclamation to Egyptian society.⁵

References

1. The Feminist Vision in the Writings of Three Turn of the Century Egyptian Women, by: Margot Badran
2. The Feminist Vision in the Writings of Three Turn of the Century Egyptian Women, by: Margot Badran
3. Al-Ahram Weekly Online Article by: Margot Badran
4. The Feminist Vision in the Writings of Three Turn of the Century Egyptian Women, by: Margot Badran
5. Al-Ahram Weekly Online Journal by: Yunan Labib Rizk