Zaynab al-Nahlawi

A pioneering Algerian educator who established schools for girls during French colonization, promoting women's education against societal norms.

Zaynab al-Nahlawi (1820–1897) was a 19th-century Algerian educator and poet who defied cultural and colonial constraints to advance women's education. Born in Constantine during French occupation, she witnessed the erosion of traditional Arabic education systems and the marginalization of women's intellectual opportunities. In 1850, she founded one of Algeria's first girls' schools, defying both French colonial policies and local patriarchal norms that restricted female learning. Her school curriculum integrated Arabic literature, mathematics, and secular subjects, challenging the notion that women could not engage in intellectual pursuits. Despite facing backlash, her efforts laid groundwork for Algeria's modern educational framework. Al-Nahlawi's poetry, often published anonymously, critiqued gender inequality and colonial oppression. Her legacy is preserved in the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Algerian Women's Heritage Project, highlighting her role in fostering female agency during a period of cultural upheaval.