Zahraa Hefny

An Egyptian educator and feminist who pioneered girls' education in rural areas, challenging gender norms in mid-20th century Egypt.

Zahraa Hefny (1918–1995) was an Egyptian reformer whose work in education and women's rights reshaped opportunities for rural girls. Born in Upper Egypt, she defied societal expectations to pursue higher education, becoming one of the first female teachers in her region. Her efforts in the 1940s and 1950s expanded access to schooling for girls, often in areas where education was restricted to boys.

Hefny co-founded the Rural Education Initiative in 1948, establishing mobile schools that traveled to remote villages. These schools combined literacy with vocational training, teaching girls skills like weaving and healthcare. By the 1960s, her programs had educated over 5,000 girls, many of whom later became teachers themselves. Her approach blended traditional knowledge with modern pedagogy, earning praise from UNESCO.

She also advocated for legal reforms, lobbying to raise the minimum age for marriage from 14 to 16. Her 1963 report, Girls' Education: A National Imperative, influenced Egypt's 1964 Education Law. Hefny's legacy is preserved in the Zahraa Hefny Institute, which continues her work in marginalized communities.

Despite her impact, Hefny remained largely unrecognized outside Egypt until recent years. Her story is chronicled in the documentary 《The School That Traveled》, though it is only available in Arabic. Her contributions highlight the intersection of education and gender equality in shaping societal progress.