Doria Shafik

A trailblazing Egyptian feminist who fought for women's suffrage and gender equality in mid-20th century Egypt.

Doria Shafik (1908–1975) was a revolutionary Egyptian feminist whose activism reshaped women’s roles in modern Egypt. Born in Alexandria, she studied in Paris, where she immersed herself in feminist thought. Returning to Egypt in the 1930s, she founded the Association of Egyptian University Women and later the League for the Defense of Women’s Rights. In 1951, she staged a historic protest at the Egyptian parliament, demanding women’s suffrage, which led to the 1956 law granting women voting rights.

Shafik also challenged societal norms by writing controversial articles in her journal al-Mitaba, advocating for equal inheritance and divorce rights. Her 1948 hunger strike outside the royal palace pressured King Farouk to appoint women to the constituent assembly. Despite facing political marginalization post-1952 revolution, she continued grassroots activism. Her memoir 《Doria Shafik, Egyptian Feminist》 remains a seminal text on Arab feminism. Her legacy endures in Egypt’s legal reforms and women’s empowerment movements.