Hanaa Harb

Egyptian feminist educator who established first women's university in the Arab world

Hanaa Harb (1898-1983) was a visionary Egyptian educator and feminist who founded the first women's university in the Arab world. Born in Alexandria to a Coptic Christian family, she studied education in Paris before returning to Egypt to champion women's access to higher learning. In 1930, she established the Egyptian Feminist Union's Women's College, which later became part of Cairo University's Faculty of Education.

Harb's most enduring contribution was the creation of the Ain Shams University Women's College in 1950, which became a model for women's education across the Middle East. She designed progressive curricula combining traditional subjects with modern disciplines like political science and sociology. Her educational philosophy emphasized both intellectual and character development, requiring students to participate in community service.

She actively participated in Egypt's feminist movement, advocating for women's suffrage and property rights. Her memoir <《Education and Equality in Modern Egypt》 details her struggles against patriarchal norms. Though overshadowed by contemporary figures like Huda Shaarawi, Harb's institutional contributions remain foundational to Arab women's education. A recent documentary <《The Classroom Revolution》 explores her legacy in Egypt's educational history.

Her work is also chronicled in academic texts like <《Women and the State in Modern Egypt》, highlighting her role in creating educational infrastructure that enabled generations of Arab women to pursue professional careers.