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Egyptian feminist urges us to keep fighting

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Hazel Larkin
WVoN co-editor

‘I don’t divide people by their genital organs – but by their brains.’

So said Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi at a press conference organised by the Women’s Media Centre in New York yesterday.

Making the point that men can be as ‘feminist’ as women, likewise there are women who can have what El Saadawi referred to as ‘patriarchal brains’.

‘There are men of conscience who want to be agents of change and the advancement of women’s rights around the world,’ she said. To illustrate her point, 40% of the members of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association are men.

‘Men can be more anti-patriarchal than women. Woman can have patriarchal brains – Margaret Thatcher, Condoleeza Rice and Angela Merkel are all examples of women with patriarchal brains. Women can be brain-washed and veiled and that makes them anti-women and patriarchal.’

Nawal El Saadawi is a feminist, activist, writer, physician and psychiatrist who will celebrate her 80th birthday in six months’ time.

The eldest of nine children, she was born and grew up in Egypt. Through her medical practice, she observed women’s physical and psychological problems and connected them to oppressive cultural practices including patriarchal, class and imperialist oppression.

That “accumulation” of oppression, according to El Saadawi, can make women rebel. Women everywhere are fighting, she says, but their struggle is hidden in history. Women everywhere are fighting against patriarchy – as women, we are all in the same boat.

‘This global solidarity [between women] is very essential,’ she said.  ‘When the law is unjust, we must break the law. Patriarchy is unjust, as are the laws that are based on it.’

El Saadawi was in the thick of the recent revolutionary activities in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Women and men stood shoulder to shoulder and cried out the slogan of the revolution – ‘Dignity, Justice, Freedom.’

‘You will notice there was no mention of democracy in the recent revolution in Egypt,’ she pointed out. ‘Democracy does not treat women equally.  Democracy is based on patriarchal ideals.’

El Saadawi expressed her biting disappointment that the committee which will re-write the Egyptian constitution was all male. Not a single woman was even invited to take part in the discussions (see WVoN story).

‘Many young men and women came to my house and they were very angry with the military council who established a committee with no women and no young people to make changes to the constitution.’

El Saadawi estimates there were about fifty-five angry young men and women in her house that night when they decided to re-establish the Egyptian Women’s Union. The idea is to push for female representation of 35% on all new committees concerned with governmental and constitutional issues in Egypt.

‘Continue the feminist fight no matter where you live! It is very important that we learn to reach out to each other across national boundaries,’ she entreated us, displaying the passion that has inspired men and women for generations and which continues to do so today.

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