Women and the Egyptian Revolution

Sholkamy, a professor of anthropology at the American University of Cairo and currently a visiting fellow at Yale, described the progression of females’ presence throughout the uprisings. She explained that the percentage of females voting had increased substantially in recent years, an astonishing change in representation.

 

Sholkamy showed many photos that she took herself while demonstrating. Several were quite jarring, illustrating the reality of sexism. She described how many men, usually members of the Muslim Brotherhood, leered at the women and often pushed them. Sholkamy showed a famous photograph of the "woman in the blue bra" who, though wearing traditional clothing, was essentially disrobed by police during one protest. 

 

Cate, though American by birth, grew up in several Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt for 10 years. She is executive director of Hands Along the Nile Development Services (HANDS), a non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C.

HANDS primarily works to educate women in the slums of Egypt by teaching them to read and create handicrafts so they can be financially independent. Cate took a personal approach and spoke of several very different women whom she knew and the role they each played in the revolution. She also described a family in which the siblings had opposing views about the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

Both speakers showed Groton how different kinds of women have come together for a single cause and empowered one another.—Victoria Wahba '17