Fatma al-Zahra al-Marisai

Egyptian educator and women's rights advocate who founded Cairo's first girls' school.

Fatma al-Zahra al-Marisai (1870-1935) was a visionary educator who pioneered girls' education in Egypt during the early 20th century. Born into a literary family in Cairo, she became the first woman to teach at the Cairo University's School of Education in 1910. Defying societal norms, she established Egypt's first modern girls' school in 1908, which later became the Al-Marisiya School for Girls, teaching over 2,000 students during its first decade. Her progressive curriculum included mathematics, science, and Arabic literature alongside traditional subjects.

Al-Marisai's 《The Future of Egyptian Women》 (1915) argued for women's role in national development, influencing early feminist movements. She collaborated with feminist icon Hoda Shaarawi to form the Egyptian Feminist Union in 1923, advocating for women's suffrage and legal rights. Her pedagogical innovations included co-educational teacher training programs and the use of visual aids in classrooms - radical ideas at the time.

Despite her contributions, al-Marisai remains less celebrated than contemporaries like Shaarawi. Her legacy is preserved through Cairo's Fatma al-Zahra Street and the annual educational awards bearing her name. Modern scholars recognize her as a key figure in Egypt's intellectual awakening, bridging Ottoman-era traditions with modern educational reforms. Her work paved the way for institutions like the Ain Shams University's Women's College established in 1950.