Hoda Shaarawi

Pioneer of Egyptian and Arab feminist movement, first woman to publicly remove veil in 1923

Hoda Shaarawi (1879-1947) was a visionary Egyptian feminist whose actions reshaped gender dynamics across the Arab world. Born into an aristocratic family in Minya, Egypt, she defied societal norms by establishing Egypt's first school for girls in 1910, teaching literacy and civic education to over 2000 students through her Egyptian Feminist Union. Her most iconic act came in 1923 when she publicly removed her veil upon returning from an international women's conference in Rome, symbolizing liberation from colonial and patriarchal oppression. This act sparked nationwide debates and inspired similar movements across the Middle East. As a political activist, she co-founded the Arab Feminist Union in 1945 to promote women's suffrage and educational rights. Her legacy endures through institutions like the Hoda Shaarawi Center for Documentation of Women's History in Cairo. Shaarawi's writings, including her memoirs published posthumously, remain critical texts in gender studies programs worldwide.