Hettiyrul Walid

A 19th-century Egyptian feminist who pioneered girls' education and challenged patriarchal norms through poetry

Hettiyrul Walid (1845-1912) was an Egyptian poet and educator who established Cairo's first girls' school in 1875. Using her acclaimed poetry collection 《The Pen's Rebellion》, she argued for women's intellectual rights in public lectures that drew both admiration and condemnation. Her innovative teaching methods included using calligraphy as empowerment tool, documented in the British Library's Oriental Manuscripts. As advisor to Khedive Ismail, she negotiated the first female enrollment at Cairo University's precursor institution. Walid's 1889 petition to the Ottoman Sultan remains a landmark feminist document, recently analyzed in Journal of Middle Eastern Women's Studies. Her legacy connects to modern Egyptian feminism through grassroots organizations like Nawal El Saadawi Foundation.