Set in Egypt, Woman at Point Zero is the story of one woman’s struggle for independence, sexuality, and freedom in twentieth-century Egypt. For modern readers, particular those with western backgrounds, understanding Firdaus’s experiences within her society may be difficult without a basic grounding in Egyptian culture, particularly as it pertains to women. Below is a timeline of women’s rights in Egypt.
1806 B.C.-- Sobekneferu becomes the pharaoh of Egypt after the death of her brother. She’s the first historically confirmed female pharaoh of Egypt.
1478 B.C.-- Hatshepsut becomes the second historically confirmed female pharaoh of Egypt.
1353 B.C.-- Nefertiti rules Egypt alongside her husband Akhenaten.
51 B.C.-- Cleopatra VII becomes Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
1919-- Egypt revolts against British rule, and Egyptian women are active participants in the demand for Egypt’s liberation.
1922--Egypt wins initial independence from British rule, and Egyptian men are granted political rights. Women, however, are not.
1923-- Huda Sha’rawi founds the Egyptian Feminist Union, the first nationwide feminist movement in Egypt. The union was a fierce advocate for education reform.
1924-- The new Constitution raises the age of marriage for girls to sixteen.
1925-- The Egyptian government makes primary education compulsory for boys and girls, in part due to the efforts of the Egyptian Feminist Union.
1931-- Nawal el Saadawi is born.
1936-- Zaynab al-Ghazali founds the Muslim Women’s Association, a group that pushed for women’s liberation, economic rights, political rights through a more intimate understanding of Islam.
1942-- The Egyptian Feminist party is founded.
1948-- Doria Shafiq founds the Daughters of the Nile Union, a more militant group who clashed with the Egyptian government over political rights and were often arrested on many occasions.
1952-- Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein leads the overthrow of the Egyptian monarchy and becomes the formal president in 1956. During his rule, he advocated for women’s rights through welfare-state policies, dubbed “state feminist.” Along with the right to vote, women also gained standing in the workforce and maternity leave during his presidency. However, at the same time, the government repressed independent feminist organizations.
1956-- Women are guaranteed the right to vote and equality of opportunity in the 1956 Egyptian constitution.
1970-- Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat becomes president of Egypt. His economic liberalization plan resulted in reduced opportunities for women. Unemployment rates for women increased from 5.8% in 1960 to 40.7% in 1986.
1972-- Nawal el Saadawi publishes Women and Sex.
1979-- The Egyptian government signs the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
1980-- The constitutional amendment of 1980 declares shari‘a as “the” major source of legislation in the country.
1985-- The Committee for the Defence of Women and Family Rights is formed, in an attempt to counter a new wave of religious fundamentalism.
1994-- The Egyptian government revises school uniform legislation, forbidding girls under the age of 12 from covering their hair or face by wearing the hijab or veil.
1996-- The Supreme Court of Egypt overturns the hijab ban.
2000-- The khula‘ law is passed, which gives women access to non-consensual divorce, a new standard marriage contract allowing for stipulations, and a law allowing women to apply for a passport, and thus to travel, without spousal consent. The National Council for Women is also founded in 2000.
2003-- The first female judge is appointed to the Supreme Constitutional Court.
2007-- The Supreme Judicial Council swears in 30 female judges to courts of first instance in Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria.
2008-- Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision, is criminalized in Egpyt.
2013-- 13-year-old Soheir al-Batea dies after undergoing FGM. The doctor responsible for the procedure became the first doctor in Egypt to be tried for committing female genital mutilation. He is eventually found not guilty. Also in 2013, the Tahrir Square protests occur in protest of President Mohammed Morsi. Over the course of 4 days, 91 sexual assaults, included 19 cases of mob sexual assault, are reported.
2014-- The government passes a law criminalizing sexual harassment.
2015-- The Minister of Education reinstates the hijab in schools ban.
2016-- The government tightens the FGM law and makes it a felony.
