Aicha el-Wafi

A Moroccan educator and women's rights activist who established schools for girls and promoted literacy in rural areas, challenging traditional gender roles in the early 20th century.

Aicha el-Wafi (1890–1975) was a Moroccan feminist and educator who revolutionized women’s education in rural Morocco during a time when female literacy was nearly nonexistent. Born into a family of scholars in Fez, she received a traditional religious education but later sought to modernize it. In 1920, she founded the first girls’ school in the city, Al-Marsad, defying societal expectations that girls should not attend school. Her school curriculum combined religious studies with modern subjects like mathematics, science, and French, preparing students for professional careers.

El-Wafi’s work expanded beyond Fez. She traveled to remote villages, often facing hostility, to convince families to send their daughters to school. By 1930, she had established 15 rural schools, educating over 800 girls annually. Her advocacy led to the Moroccan government’s 1933 decree mandating primary education for girls, though implementation was slow. She also co-founded the Union Marocaine pour la Protection des Femmes in 1945, which lobbied for women’s legal rights and access to healthcare.

Her efforts were internationally recognized. In 1956, she became Morocco’s first female delegate to the United Nations, advocating for global women’s education. A 2010 biography, 《Trailblazer of Fez》, details her life. Her legacy lives on in the Aicha el-Wafi Girls’ School in Rabat, a UNESCO heritage site. A 2018 documentary, "The Pen and the Sword," explores her impact. Her advocacy for girls’ education in conservative regions remains a model for grassroots empowerment.