Casting off the Veil

In 1923, when the pioneer of feminist activism, Huda Shaarawi, removed her veil in Cairo's train station, she created what became a landmark (and much-copied) gesture for feminists throughout Egypt and the Middle East and cemented her status as one of the most important feminists in twentieth-century Egypt. In Casting off the Veil, her granddaughter Sania Sharawi Lanfranchi uses never-before seen letters and photographs to explore the life and thought of Egypt's first feminist, as she campaigned against British occupation, as well as striving to improve conditions for women throughout the country. From her birth into a wealthy and powerful family, her early years spent in a harem, to her iconic status as one of the most influential feminists in Middle Eastern history, this is a fascinating portrait of a determined and ground-breaking woman, a rich and important story which will captivate everyone with an interest in Egyptian, feminist or colonial history.

Sania Sharawi Lanfranchi is a freelance interpreter, and has worked for international, regional and national organisations, including the Library of Alexandria, UNESCO and WHO.

1: Childhood in a conservative home
2: First steps in social work
3: International feminism and the EFU
4: Against the occupation
5: A Wafdist ministry
6: A lesson in diplomacy
7: The game of politics
8: The question of Greater Syria
9: The natural enemies of war
10: Turning points
11: Peace and justice
12: The Second World War
13: The UNGA divides Palestine