Nawal El Saadawi (1931-2021) Egyptian writer, activist & physician

Nawal El Saadawi wrote numerous books on the subject of women in Islam.
She was described as Egypt’s most radical woman.

Nawal was founder and president of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights.

She studied medicine in Cairo and New York. She was appointed Director General of Health Education at Egypt’s Ministry of Health. She remained in post until she published Women and Sex -in which she criticised FGM (Female Gential Mutilation) - aged just 6 she had under done FMG.She was expelled.

As a psychiatrist she had special insight into the traumas and injustices Egyptian women faced daily. Her writing empowered women but proved unacceptable to Egyptian political and religious authorities. She was imprisoned for a time and wrote Memories from the Women’s Prison (1983) using toilet paper and an eyebrow pencil .

Nawal was a prolific writer writing both non-fiction and fiction.They were translated into many languages. ( Selected works)

She fled Egypt in 1988 when her life was threatened. She returned to Cairo in 1996 where she stayed until her death in 2021.

They call me a wild and dangerous woman. I speak the truth. And truth is wild and dangerous Nawal El Saadawi

Sources
Wikipedia
Rise: Extraordinary Women of Colour Who Changed the Worldby Maliha Abidi