THE UNVEILED Huda Shaarawi

19th century / 20th century / Africa / Egypt / First woman to... / Politics / Writers
A black and white photo of a woman in a black dress, headdress and scarf covering her hair and neck, but not her face. She stares directly at the camera with a frank and pleasant expression.
Huda Shaarawi before discarding her mantle
image in the public domain

An Egyptian child bride awakens to the reality of life in a harem, and dreams of revolution. And that’s just the beginning! Huda Shaarawi led thousands of women in a movement to liberate themselves from the harem, the veil, and all inequality. But in 1920s Egypt, how far could they get?

Our guest is Professor Ayfer Karakaya-Stump at the College of William & Mary.

photo of Ayfer Karakaya-StumpAyfer Karakaya-Stump was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. An Associate Professor of History at the College Of William and Mary, she received her Ph.D. in History and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University. Her scholarly interests include medieval and early modern Middle East, social and cultural history of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman-Safavid borderlands, Sufism, nonconformist religious movements, Alevi/Bektashi communities, and women and gender in Islamic(ate) societies.

 

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One Comment

  1. I so enjoyed this episode. You sisters never disappoint – when I think an episode may not be that interesting, you always prove me wrong. Because of my interest in Progressive era women and reforms, this one in particular grabbed me. You referred to the International Women’s Conference held in Rome one year, but the background of the conferences – including one held during WWI at the Hague – is a story in itself. It is amazing what women can do when they join forces! Thank you once again!

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