Doria Shafik
Encyclopedia
Doria Shafiq was one of the women who led the women's liberation movement in Egypt in the early 1950s. As a result of her activities, Egypt
ian women now have the right to elect and nominate in the Egyptian constitution. She founded literature patrols, and served as a freedom fighter against the British
occupation
in Egypt
.
She was born in Tanta
, in the Nile delta
and studied in the French
mission school. She was among the first female students sent by the Egyptian Ministry of Education to study at Sorbonne University in Paris
at the government's expense. She also studied for a PhD in philosophy at the Sorbonne; her thesis subject was woman in Islam in which she argued that Islam allows equality for women.
On her return from France accompanied by her husband, the dean of the faculty of arts in Cairo University
rejected hiring her in the university because "she is a woman". Princess Shuvekar (the first wife of King Fuad I of Egypt
), offered her the position of chief manager of the new women's magazine. It was the first magazine, written in Arabic and directed to teach and educate the Egyptian woman. It was founded in the late 1940s, in order to write about topics regarding liberation of Egyptian women.
She founded a movement to eradicate ignorance and illiteracy among girls and women in many populated regions in Cairo and founded a school in Boulaq
for the same purpose.
. She remained in seclusion about 18 years.
and French
, and wrote several poetry
books in addition to her own memoirs.
After her house arrest in 1957, Nasser had Shafiq's name barred from all Egyptian texts, periodicals, and books. Today, there is very little written about her and it is difficult to find her original texts.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian women now have the right to elect and nominate in the Egyptian constitution. She founded literature patrols, and served as a freedom fighter against the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
occupation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
She was born in Tanta
Tanta
Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria...
, in the Nile delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
and studied in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
mission school. She was among the first female students sent by the Egyptian Ministry of Education to study at Sorbonne University in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
at the government's expense. She also studied for a PhD in philosophy at the Sorbonne; her thesis subject was woman in Islam in which she argued that Islam allows equality for women.
On her return from France accompanied by her husband, the dean of the faculty of arts in Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
rejected hiring her in the university because "she is a woman". Princess Shuvekar (the first wife of King Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
), offered her the position of chief manager of the new women's magazine. It was the first magazine, written in Arabic and directed to teach and educate the Egyptian woman. It was founded in the late 1940s, in order to write about topics regarding liberation of Egyptian women.
She founded a movement to eradicate ignorance and illiteracy among girls and women in many populated regions in Cairo and founded a school in Boulaq
Boulaq
Boulaq is a district of Cairo, Egypt. It neighbours Downtown Cairo, Azbakeya, and the River Nile.The name Boulaq comes from the French 'Bon Lac', which literally means 'Good Lake'. The name was arabised into Bolaq, which in Egyptian dialect is pronounced 'Bolaa'.-History:Following the Baybars’s...
for the same purpose.
Storming Parliament
In February 1951, she led a demonstration, accompanied by 1500 Egyptian women, during which she broke into the Egyptian Chamber and spoke to the council to consider the issues and demands of Egyptian women. After a week, the Council granted Egyptian women the right to vote and stand for parliament.Struggle against occupation
In 1951, she prepared a paramilitary Task of Egyptian women to resist the British army units in the Suez Canal, indicating a willingness to fight and send trained nurses to the field. She also led a demonstration for women, in which she surrounded the British Barclays Bank in Cairo in January 1951 and called for a Boycott.Bent Nile Party
After the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, she asked the government to transform "the daughter of the Nile union" into the first women's party of Egypt.Strike and isolation
Because of the changing political situation in the country after the revolution, and the absence of genuine political activity, in 1957 Doria Shafiq was put under house arrest after a hunger strike against General Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
. She remained in seclusion about 18 years.
Versions translation and literary work
She issued several periodicals, including The New Woman magazine and "daughter of the Nile" and the small chick magazine for children. During her years of house arrest, Shafiq translated the Koran into EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and wrote several poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
books in addition to her own memoirs.
After her house arrest in 1957, Nasser had Shafiq's name barred from all Egyptian texts, periodicals, and books. Today, there is very little written about her and it is difficult to find her original texts.