Contents
Nawal El Saadawi
Challenging patriarchy through fiction, medicine and public advocacy.
Woman and Sex · Woman at Point Zero
- Born
- 27 October 1931
- Birthplace
- Kafr Tahla, Egypt
- Died
- 21 March 2021
More people
Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi was an Egyptian physician and writer whose work addressed women’s bodies, power and social inequality.
Early life
Village childhood
Grew up in the Nile Delta.
Medicine
Graduated from Cairo University’s medical school.
Career
- 1950s–1960s
Medical work
Practised medicine and worked in public health.
- 1970s
Writing and dismissal
Published controversial work while challenging social restrictions.
- 1980s onward
Activism and books
Continued writing after imprisonment and periods abroad.
Selected books
Woman and Sex
Examined sexual oppression and women’s lives.
Woman at Point Zero
Built a novel around a condemned woman’s account.
Prison memoir
Wrote about detention under Anwar Sadat.
Beyond work
Organising
Founded the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association.
Public stance
Connected gender inequality with class and political power.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Mustafamohamedsaeed. CC0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
