Arab Feminist Union

History

The seeds of pan-Arab feminism were sown in 1938, during the Eastern Women's Conference for the Defense of Palestine. Egyptian Feminist Union founder Huda Shaarawi was elected president of the organization that came out of this conference, and she suggested that the individual countries establish feminist unions. Shaarawi later traveled to meet with women's organizations in a few Arab countries, and delegates of these organizations met in Lebanon to discuss a feminist conference.

In December 1944, the Egyptian Feminist Union convened the Arab Feminist Congress in Cairo. This progressive conference established the AFU, which brought together diverse women's organizations to promote both feminism and pan-Arab unity. However, from 1950 to 1960, several totalitarian regimes took over many of the newly independent Arab countries and cracked down on feminist organizing. At one point, the organization was forced to change its name to the Arab Women's Union, and many of the country's sections were forced to limit their work to providing social services or alter their focus from feminism to women's status within the ruling political party of the state.

Organizational Structure and Activities

The AFU was headquartered in Egypt, while the Egyptian Feminist Union administered the organization, and Huda Shaarawi was the first president. Initially, two other Egyptian women were elected treasurer and secretary. Each of the other member countries, Trans-Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Lebanon, had two representatives on the board. Huda Shaarawi drafted a constitution for the organization in 1945.

This organization brought together feminist unions from Arab countries that were each made up of the various women's organizations within that country. The AFU discussed feminism and women's roles as citizens within the constructs of nationalism and pan-Arab struggles. In addition, these feminists focused on the rights accorded to women under Islam, and they sought to affect the personal status laws of their countries. AFU also addressed issues such as the use of Arab women as prostitutes by Western militaries and the gendered nature of the Arabic language. The AFU also began the first journal focused on Arab women.

Today

The AFU is still in existence today, having been revived during increased feminist activism at the end of the 20th century, and it now includes countries from the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, the goals of AFU live on in other organizations, like the Arab Women's Solidarity Association.