Fatima Amien

Egyptian feminist leader who pioneered women's suffrage and legal reforms in the Arab world

Fatima Amien (1910-1968) was a trailblazing Egyptian lawyer and activist whose legal battles advanced women's rights across the Middle East. After graduating top of her class from Cairo University Law School in 1933, she founded the National Women's Legal Defense in 1940. Her landmark 1947 case Amien v. Ministry of Justice secured women's right to judicial office, and her 1955 legislation established minimum marriage age laws. Amien's 1960 book Legal Pathways to Equality influenced post-colonial legal frameworks in 12 Arab nations. She served as UN women's rights advisor from 1962-1968, establishing the Arab Women's Policy Network. Her archives are preserved at the Cairo Legal History Museum.