This book is the first to provide photographic documentation of Egyptian women’s movements during the first half of the twentieth century. It is a compilation of archival photographs that includes portraits of key figures in the movements, demonstrations, election campaigns, diverse forms of women’s activism, and female pioneers in various fields. Although written histories of the Egyptian women’s movement abound, the photographs included in this book bring to life the events and personalities of the time in ways that the written word cannot. The collection emphasizes the diversity of women’s struggles in terms of their various goals, such as the right to vote, education, and women’s participation in the Egyptian nationalist struggle. It also highlights some of the women’s movement’s lesser known figures who were instrumental in achieving their goals. While some of the pictures were published in magazines and journals at the time, they are brought together here to tell the story of the women’s movement more fully. The deeper knowledge provided by this collection of photographs enhances our knowledge of the women’s movement and will inspire generations of activists to come.

The New Woman Research Center, founded in 1984, is an Egyptian non-governmental feminist organization that works on women’s issues through advocacy and research. Both editors are active members. Hind Wassef is involved in research on violence against women. Her interests include gender issues and education. Nadia Wassef is an independent researcher on gender issues. Her activism and research cover a range of iddues including histories of women’s movements and organizations, female genital mutilation, masculinity, and violence against women.