October
15, 2004
Nawal
El Saadawi to speak on "Politics, Women, and Democracy" October
18
Noted
Arab novelist, psychiatrist, feminist writer, and activist
Nawal El Saadawi will speak on "Politics, Women, and Democracy" at
7 PM Monday, October 18, in Gamble Auditorium in the Mount Holyoke
College Art Museum. The event is free, open to the public, and
fully accessible.
Nawal El Saadawi is a leading Arab feminist, sociologist, medical
doctor, and militant writer on Arab women’s problems. She
is one of the most widely translated contemporary Egyptian writers,
with her work available in 12 languages.
Since she began to write more than 40 years ago, El Saadawi’s
books (27 in all) have concentrated on women, particularly Arab
women, their sexuality and legal status. From the start, her
writings were considered controversial and dangerous for the
society, and were banished in Egypt. As a result, El Saadawi
was forced to publish her works in Beirut, Lebanon. In her first
work of nonfiction, Women and Sex, she dealt with the highly
taboo subject of women and sexuality, and also the sensitive
subjects of politics and religion. This publication evoked the
anger of highly placed politicians and theological authorities.
In 1977, she published her most famous work, The Hidden Face
of Eve, which covered a host of topics relative to Arab women
such as aggression against female children and female genital
mutilation, prostitution, sexual relationships, marriage and
divorce, and Islamic fundamentalism.
In 1980, as a culmination of the long war she had fought for
Egyptian women’s social and intellectual freedom, she was
imprisoned under the Sadat regime for alleged “crimes against
the state.” In spite of her imprisonment, El Saadawi continued
to fight against oppression. El Saadawi formed the Arab Women’s
Solidarity Association (AWSA) in 1981. AWSA, the first legal,
independent feminist organization in Egypt, was banned in 1991
after criticizing U.S. involvement in the Gulf War, which El
Saadawi felt should have been solved among the Arabs.
Even after her release from prison El Saadawi’s life was
threatened by those who opposed her work, mainly Islamic fundamentalists,
and armed guards were stationed outside her house for several
years until she left the country to become a visiting professor
at North American universities. El Saadawi continues to devote
her time to writing, journalism, and speaking worldwide on women’s
issues.
More information about this important activist and writer is
available at
www.nawalsaadawi.net.
The event is sponsored by the Florence Purington Lecture Fund;
the Dean of the College; the Office of Religious Life; and
the departments of Asian studies, politics, history, women's
studies,
and international relations.
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