Fatma Nimr

Pioneering Egyptian physician and women's rights advocate who broke barriers for women in medicine and education

Fatma Nimr (1900–1980) was a groundbreaking Egyptian physician, educator, and feminist who became the first woman in Egypt to practice medicine. Born in Cairo, she faced immense societal resistance to women's professional roles but graduated from the American University in Cairo in 1923. She later earned a medical degree from the University of Geneva in 1927, returning to Egypt to establish the Fatma Nimr Medical College for Women in 1933, which trained thousands of female doctors. Her advocacy for women’s rights included founding the Egyptian Feminist Union and co-authoring the 1956 constitution’s gender equality provisions. Nimr’s legacy endures through her contributions to healthcare access and her role in dismantling gender barriers in academia and medicine.

Her efforts were particularly impactful during Egypt’s post-colonial era, when she lobbied for laws protecting women’s inheritance rights and workplace equality. She also co-founded the Egyptian Feminist Union, which remains active today. Nimr’s international collaborations with organizations like UNICEF further amplified her influence in global health initiatives. Despite challenges from conservative factions, she remained a vocal advocate for secular education and women’s empowerment until her death in 1980.

Today, her medical college continues to educate female physicians, and her name is synonymous with pioneering achievement in Arab women’s history. Her life exemplifies how individual determination can reshape societal norms and create lasting institutional change.