Draft:Prof. Mohammad Deyab on Womanism in Egypt

The question of Egyptian women’s acceptance of feminism has been highly controversial in recent years. With some justification, some Egyptian women activists denounced western feminism as a form of cultural imperialism against which Egyptian traditions needed defending. In addition, other Egyptian women are reluctant to join the feminist movement because its association with the radical feminism. Moreover, they express their dissatisfaction about the feminist movement on another wider base since it fails to address the issues and problems of worldwide women. Like many Black women writers, such as Alice Walker, who seek to separate themselves from radical feminists, Egyptian women activists such as Nawal El Saadawi and many others, have been looking for other terms to better describe their struggles and experiences. The aim of this paper is to introduce the term “Womanism” to Egyptian Women’s activists. The paper begins with pointing out the main reasons for introducing this term, its various definitions and the reasons behind some famous Egyptian womanists rejecting the radical feminist movement and endorsing instead womanist ideas and ideologies. As a multi-layered and comprehensive movement, the paper argues that “Womanism” might be another option for Egyptian female activists to express their specific struggles since it fights for not only gender equality but also gender reconciliation between men and women and the struggle against poverty, classism and racism.