Saiza Nabarawi: the making of an international Egyptian feminist in the Cold War context

This article examines the activism of the Egyptian feminist Saiza Nabarawi (1897–1985) in the period following World War II. While Nabarawi’s involvement with the Egyptian Feminist Union is well documented, her activism during the 1950s and 1960s has largely been overlooked. By examining her engagement with international women’s networks such as the Women’s International Democratic Federation and her involvement with leftist Egyptian groups such as the Popular Resistance Committee, the article sheds light on her contributions as an international activist. The article is based on materials in Arabic, Russian and French that have hitherto not been explored in research on Nabarawi. The findings reveal how Nabarawi developed her ideas on feminism, anticolonialism, and global peace during the post-WWII period.