Nawal El Saadawi
Egyptian physician, psychiatrist, author, and feminist
"I am becoming more radical with age. I have noticed that writers, when they are old, become milder. But for me it is the opposite. Age makes me more angry." -Nawal El Saadawi
Early life/Education
- Born October 27th, 1931 in Kafr Tahlah, Egypt
- Suffered genital mutilation at the age of 6
- Her family was extremely traditional, but her father insisted that all his children receive an education
- Attended Cairo University (M.D. 1955)
- Went on to earn her M.P.H at Columbia University in 1966
- Performed psychiatric research at 'Ayn Shams University in Cairo
- Worked as a physician at Cairo University and later became the director-general of the health education department in the Egyptian ministry of health.
“Solidarity between women can be a powerful force of change, and can influence future development in ways favourable not only to women but also to men.” ― Nawal El-Saadawi, The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World
- She's written over 50 books - concentrate on Arab women's sexuality and legal status
- Her books were banned in Egypt so she had to go to Beirut, Lebanon to publish
- First book was Women and Sex
- Made political authorities angry and she lost her position at the Ministry of Health
- Published her most famous work, The Hidden Face of Eve, in 1977 -covered aggression against young girls, genital mutilation, prostitution, sexual relationships, marriage/divorce, and Islamic fundamentalism
- Became the United Nations Advisor for the Women's Program in Africa and the Middle East
- Because of her activism, she was imprisoned for "crimes against the state, continued to write
- Wrote Memoirs from the Women's Prison
"I was arrested because I believed Sadat. He said there is democracy and we have a multi-party system and you can criticize. So I started criticizing his policy and I landed in jail."
- Afterwards formed the Arab Women's Solidarity Association in 1981 - the first legal, independent feminist movement in Egypt
- Wrote a play - God Resigns in the Summit Meeting
Nawal El Saadawi in Tahrir Square
FUUSE WORLD WOMAN: Nawal El Saadawi with Kenan Malik
Gornick, V. (1982). ABOUT THE MUTILATED HALF. Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/14/books/about-the-mutilated-half.html
Nawal El Saadawi. (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://faculty.webster.edu/woolflm/saadawi.html
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Nawal El Saadawi. Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Nawal-El-Saadawi