Muna al-Muzayin

Pioneer of Jordanian women's education and early feminist leader

Muna al-Muzayin (1920-2008) was a Jordanian educator who founded the country's first girls' school in 1952 during a time when female literacy rates were under 10%. As director of the Khalda School, she developed innovative teaching methods combining Arabic literature with modern science. Her 1958 petition to King Hussein led to the establishment of Jordan's first teacher training college for women. Al-Muzayin authored 《The Educated Woman》 (1965), a manifesto advocating for women's intellectual rights, and co-founded the Queen Zeina Foundation to support female entrepreneurs. Her advocacy influenced Jordan's 1976 family law reforms, and her writings are preserved in the British Museum archives. Al-Muzayin's legacy is commemorated annually during Jordan's National Women's Day celebrations.