Evening star., 1927-10-09
EGYPTIAN FEMINIST LEADER
RECOUNTS FIGHT FOR RIGHTS
Mime. Charaoui Pasha Tells
of Newly Won Freedom in
Land of Pharaohs.
Struggle Began With Dis.
carding of Veil by Her.
self and Daughter.

Mime. Hoda Charaoui Pasha, mother
of Nine. Samy Pasha. wife Of the
Minister of Egypt, gave an interesting
account of the progress Of feminism
and nationalism in Egypt during the
past eight years at a conference with
leaders of the National Woman's
Party Thursday afternoon in the
garden Of the clubhouse on Capitol
Hill.
Nine. Charaoui, who is president of
the Egyptian Feminist Union, the first
suffrage organization established in
Egypt, as we'll as a member Of the
international advisory council Of the
Womans Party, is recognized as the
leading feminist of her country. 1t
was she and her daughter, Nine.
Samy, who first removed their wells,
defying tradition to free the women
of the country from one of the out
ward signs of social restrictions with
which custom had shackled them since
the days of Mohammed.
Start Anti.Veil Crusade.
Returning from a meeting Of the In
tcrnatiDnal Suffrage Alliance in Rome
in 1923, Nine. Charaoui confided to her
unnecessary. The daughter agreed,
and they forthwith uncovered their
faces and, with rare courage, appeared
thus in public, braving the possible
criticism and censure of the ''old
school"
Nine. Charaoui, being a widow,
realized that she was open to even
more severe criticism than her daugh
ter. "You go first" she directed. on
tho occasion, "for 1 will have to bear
my lot alone, if we shock the world,
while you have a husband-and he is
very broad-minded." SO they set
forth, Nine. Samy leading the way.
To their joy the women were quick to
follow their lead, and now no woman
feels the need of veil when dressing
for the street in Egypt.
"This is simply one of the very
little things indicative of the progress
which has been made in the past
eight years." said Nine. Charaoui.
Just to think, before the war.
women rarely appeared on our streets
at all-then only when accompanied
by their husbands or members Of their
family-and most carefully veiled.
Now we participate in the political
demonstrations as freely as do the
men, and wear the same sort of
clothes you see me wearing now.
Nationalism and Feminism.
"Nationalism has gone hand in
hand with feminism in Egypt" said
Nine. Charaoui. Following the war,
many changes We're made in our form
of government, and as the movement
for more progressive laws grew-for
a truly representative government
so did the sentiment for feminism
thrive. At the time that my organ
ization was formed women had few
rights and practically no oportunity
for education. We have had to work
slowly, primarily because of this lack
Of education. Our women are not
even yet fitted for the full duties of
citizenship-that is why we are not
yet asking for the vote. This will
come Other matters are Of greater
Importance now.
"Our first plea was for equal edu-
cational opportunities for women and
proper enforcement of marriage laws.
Today we have won the first point
without qualifications and have the
promise of the government for en-
forcement Of laws concerning mar
riage, many of which have been on
the books for years, but ignored.
1--WE have schools for girls all over
Egypt now We have 500 new schools,
some of them co-educational and many
of them exclusively for girls, opening
this year. We have university courses
for women-f1ve of our girls were sent
by the government to Europe this
Fall to complete their education as
doctors and lawyers-this much we
have accomplished toward the eman-
cipation of women in Egypt.
"Our girls need not be married be-
fore they are 16 now, thanks to a law
promised the women by the govern
ment recently.
Having gained these two points,
we now are working on four others,
embodied in bill which is being urged
by the women. These points are:
First, enforcement of laws prohibit.
ing polygamy (Which is not practiced
generally now as it was formerIy)
second, equal divorce laws; third, en-.
forcement Of the obligations of hus-
band as we'll as wife undertaken in
the marriage contract in the event of
divorce, and, fourth, equal guardian.
ship Of children in the case of divorce.
until boy has reached his majority
and until a girl Is married. Formerly
the wife. separated from her husband,
was permitted guardianship over her