Hanna Minah

A pioneering Syrian feminist and educator who championed women's rights and education in the early 20th century

Hanna Minah (1886–1975) was a Syrian feminist, educator, and social reformer who made groundbreaking contributions to women's rights and education in the Arab world. Born in Damascus during the Ottoman era, she defied societal norms by pursuing higher education in Paris, becoming one of the first Arab women to earn a university degree in literature. Returning to Syria in 1911, she founded the first girls' school in Damascus, the Al-Ahliyya School for Girls, which broke barriers by offering modern curricula including mathematics, science, and French language instruction. Minah also co-founded the Women's League for Reform in 1923, advocating for legal reforms to improve women's inheritance rights and access to public office. Her 1932 publication <《The Daughters of Humanity》 became a seminal text in Arab feminist literature, arguing that women's education was essential for national progress. During WWII, she organized literacy campaigns for rural women, establishing mobile schools that reached over 1,200 villages. Minah's legacy endures through the Hanna Minah Cultural Center in Damascus, which continues her work promoting gender equality through education. Her advocacy for secular education and women's political participation influenced later generations of Arab feminists like Leila Ahmed.