A Monument for Huda Shaarawi

Huda Shaarawi ‫هدى شعراوي‬ A monument proposal by Jood Alkibsy

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Shaarawi brother,

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Biography

Huda Shaarawi was an Egyptian suffragette, feminist, and anti-imperialist nationalist. Born in harem British-conquered Egypt in 1879, Shaarawi was truly a revolutionary.

Shaarawi’s early life in the harem— area in the house dedicated for women in ancient upper class Islamic culture— secluded her from the world and all she knew was what she was taught within the walls of the harem. Her early marriage to and separation from her husband— both at thirteen— allowed Shaarawi an extent of freedom and power over her own life.

With this little freedom and power— still living in a harem under her husband’s expenses, however—, Shaarawi took on to take music and language lessons; to meet, create relationships with, and learn about other girls and women; and to travel and explore parts of Egypt. Following seven years of her living separated from her husband, Shaarawi once again reunited with him at twenty years old and they had two children together.

Throughout her married years, Shaarawi continued to educate herself and got immersed in providing platforms and public spaces for women to get together and talk; she organized the first public lecture for women— and many that followed— at the University of Egypt in the early 1900s (undated) and eventually founded The Intellectual Association for Egyptian Women in April of 1914. During the 1919 Egyptian Revolution seeking independence from the British, Shaarawi was an essential voice for her country and its women; not only did she galvanize and lead multiple British-despised women-led protests— unheard of and “radical” globally at the time—, but she— alongside the Wafdist Women’s Central Committee (WWCC) that she was elected president of— additionally fought for the recognition and involvement of women in

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Egyptian government. After Egypt had gained independence in 1922, Shaarawi, once again, took on the streets of Egypt with members of the WWCC to protest for the suffrage of woman. After the National Wafdist Party denied women their right to vote, Shaarawi resigned her position as president of the WWCC and committed her time to the Egyptian Feminist Union that she founded— a feminist political body that is not tied to any national party. An event that Shaarawi is specifically well-known for is her public removal of her veil at Cairo station in protest. This took place in 1923, a time where all women were veiled. It is widely believed that this act of Shaarawi’s signaled for the end of the harem system and the beginning of a feminist revolution in Egypt.

Contribution

As displayed in her biography, Shaarawi’s contributions to Egypt, and the Arab world at large, are plentiful. Among her accomplishments are the demise of the harem system, the opening of schools for girls, the lobbying for a higher minimum age of marriage for girls and, ultimately, sparking a feminist awakening and revolution in Egypt. Even though Shaarawi was evidently privileged, she used her resources and power for the greater good of educating and liberating the women around her.

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Women Wafdist tral C ommittee ,

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Sharaawi in t he center of an Eg yptian Feminist Union Meeting

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The Unsilenced Women ; a monument for Shaarawi and what she stood for

Given that Shaarawi worked alongside other women, this monument would display and commemorate her and her peers. As the sketch displays, I imagine the monument to be a sculpture of Shaarawi leading a group of women in their veils with their faces revealed, marching with the Wafdist party flag in her hand. I believe that the Wafdist party flag should be a part of this sculpture as it is historically accurate and for its symbol for equality in the time that it was produced. Otherwise, I also imagine the marching women to be holding up a banner that says “High school for Girls”— a banner they held up protesting for the education of girl— to platform their fight for the rights of women and girls. Finally, this sculpture would be made out of either copper or marble, as they both are durable materials, depending on available funds.

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Significance

Shaarawi is a significant person as she represented, and continues to represent, feminism in Egypt, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at large. She is renown region-wide as the woman to catalyze feminism in the MENA. Furthermore, among feminists, Shaarawi has become the symbol for feminism and for the battles that we continue to fight to this day to achieve equality and take down patriarchy; we feel as if we are continuing a fight that she started as well as we believe that she paved a way towards gender equality for us.

Why does she deserve a monument?

I believe that Shaarawi deserves a monument as she and her peers’ efforts and history is often overlooked when it should be commemorated; even though her name is well-known, Shaarawi is more of a legend than a monumental historical figure. Additionally, there is a huge lack of knowledge of feminist history and rememberances in Egypt and MENA that I believe must be combated. Giving Shaarawi— a symbol for feminism— a monument will also work as the acknowledgment of and dedication to all the feminists that fought along with her and all feminists that continue their plight for equality today.

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Shaarawi ferage

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George Mason University Fairfax location

If this sculpture were placed in the George Mason University Fairfax campus, I would situate it on the grass strip in front of the Fenwick Library and next to the Robinson B Hall. The reason that I suggest to place the sculpture there is the significance of that location; being in front of the Fenwick Library would signify Shaarawi and MENA feminists fight for knowledge and the education of women and girls, and being next to the Robinson B Hall— where the Women and Gender Studies offices are— would signify their solidarity with women and gender minorities across the world.

Cairo Tahrir Square Location

On the other hand, if I were to place the sculpture elsewhere around the world, it would be in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. One reason for the choice of Tahrir Square is its historical significance in being an area where Egyptian revolutionaries — like Shaarawi’s self— gathered, and the square being dedicated to these revolutionaries fights for liberation— with tahrir meaning liberation in Arabic.

Another reason for this choice is the location being in Cairo, where Shaarawi first took of her veil that signaled a feminist revolution in Egypt.

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Sh a ar aw i

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Back cover

“So if the traditions and culture of the Eastern community are blindly compelled to hurt a woman’s dignity, insult and degrade her in the name of cultural unity, then I am ready to burn myself.

If it means facing prosecution and rejection to highlight these difficult truths, I intend to vocalize my pain and start a revolution for the silent women who faced centuries of oppression�

Huda Shaarawi