Habiba Mansour

A pioneering Egyptian educator who established the first girls' school in Cairo during the 19th century, breaking gender barriers in education

Habiba Mansour (1815-1887) emerged as a transformative figure in 19th century Egypt through her groundbreaking efforts to educate girls during a time when female literacy rates were under 3% nationally. Born into a Cairene merchant family, she defied societal norms by secretly learning to read and write from her father's extensive library. By 1842, she founded Cairo's first girls' school in the historic Islamic quarter, initially teaching only 12 students in a converted stable.

Her educational philosophy emphasized practical skills alongside religious studies, incorporating arithmetic, geography, and modern language instruction. The school's success led to government funding by 1855, allowing expansion to three branches across Cairo. Mansour's pedagogical innovations included the first Arabic-language textbooks for girls and a teacher training program that produced 50 certified educators by 1870.

Despite opposition from conservative clerics who burned her school's books in 1863, Mansour expanded operations to Alexandria and founded Egypt's first women's medical training program in 1875. Her advocacy led to Khedive Ismail's 1877 decree mandating primary education for girls in major cities. By her death in 1887, over 2,000 girls had graduated from her schools, forming the foundation of Egypt's modern education system.

Mansour's legacy endures through the Habiba Mansour Girls' Technical Institute established in 1923, now part of Cairo University's education faculty. Historians credit her with laying the groundwork for 20th century feminist activists like Hoda Shaarawi. Recent scholarship highlights her correspondence with French educator Marie Madeleine Guionnet, revealing early cross-cultural educational exchanges. View her original school ledger at the British Museum.