This paper explores the relationship between Egyptian nationalism and feminist activism in 1950’s Egypt through the lens of Bint al-Nil, the eponymous Arabic-language journal of the women’s union “Bint al-Nil.” Doria Shafik, founder of the Bint al-Nil union and journal, published several articles, op-eds, and personal musings throughout the journal’s circulation between 1945 and 1957. This project closely examines four of these writings, published between 1948 and 1954,
in order to understand how the Egyptian women’s movement situated itself within the broader ideological landscape of pan-Arabism, nationalism, and feminism. It was amidst this political milieu that Shafik sought to establish a movement for all Egyptian women. However, a more careful look at Shafik’s writings and activism reveal implicit class biases that
effectively disenfranchised many women from participating in her movement.The goal of this project is to shed light on the brand of feminist discourse promulgated through the Bint al-Nil journal, while also offering a candid look into some of Shafik’s ideological inconsistencies.