The first feminist movement took place in Egypt, between the years of 1923 and 1939. The movement struggled to ensure women's rights in education, employment, freedom of expression, equal salaries to those of men, reform laws so that they can protect and guarantee women's rights in a way that offers equality between men and women, and the right to hold vital state positions. As such, a number of feminist movements, groups, parties, organizations and associations have emerged in Egypt to advocate for gender equality and protect women's rights, like the Egyptian Feminist Union (EFU), Egyptian Feminist party, Bint El Nil Association (Daughter of Nile), New Woman Foundation, Committee for the Defence of Women and Family Rights, Progressive Women's Union, Women's Secretariat of the Labor party, New Woman Research Centre, Bint El Ard association (Daughter of Land), and National Council for Women (NCW). Also, magazines and books that speak out for women's rights have been issued in Egypt, such as L'Egyptienne magazine, El Masreyyah or (The Egyptian Woman) magazine, Women and Sex book by prominent feminist activist and writer, Nawal El Saadawi. Women's struggle for their rights and freedom was led by several prominent feminist leaders and activists, such as El Saadawi, Fatma Neamat Rashed, Huda Shaarawi, Nabawiyya Musa, Malak Hifni Nasif, Ceza Nabarwi and Doria Shafik. Feminism in Egypt gained some success, as the 1956 Constitution opened the door for women to acquire significant equal rights to men in education and employment, as well as the right to vote and run for the elections. In 2000, legislation was approved to permit women to divorce men under Al Khula law. Meanwhile, in 2003, Tahani Al Gebali was appointed by former president, Hosni Mubarak as the vice president of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, thus becoming the first woman to be handed a judiciary position in Egypt. Al Gebali made sure that at least 32 other women assumed several judicial positions in 2007. Also, in 2004, legislation was approved to permit women to hand over their citizenship to their biological children. In 2008, the Egyptian government approved a law restricting female genital mutilation (FGM), which El Saadawi fought hard against. That law was passed, after the death of the 12-year-old Badour Shaker during an operation in June 2007, of which El Saadawi said: "When I heard that she died, I wrote an open letter to her parents, saying they should not be silent – they should scream so all the world would hear their voice. They should use the death to educate everybody." El Saadawi's long struggle for women's rights has awarded her honorary prizes in three different continents, as she won the North-South prize in 2004 from the Council of Europe. In 2005, she won the Inana International Prize in Belgium and the International Peace Bureau awarded her with the 2012 Séan MacBride Peace Prize in 2012. She was also nominated for a Nobel Literature Prize in 2012. This kind of success for feminism in Egypt encourages many other women to take part in the struggle for their rights, as it highlights that determination and perseverance, no matter how long it took, will bare fruits in the end. However, this deserved success reflects the important role of women in changing society's beliefs and customs to the better, and in shaping up the future of the country, as well. But, nonetheless, the struggle for women's rights continues, as their rights has not yet been fully given, which only makes them more resilient than ever. Women in Political Life Women presence in the Egyptian political life was remarkable in a number of historic events as they participated strongly in 1919 revolution under the leadership of activist, Safiya Zaghloul to demand their rights in education until the university stage as well as allowing them to engage in political life and their right to form political parties. After that period, Egyptian women role in the political life was not strong as they did not take their full rights in practicing politics due to the lack of the community's proper culture toward women in a number of issues not only in politics. During the beginning of the 21th century, Egyptian women began to appear again in the Egyptian political scene as they participated in a number of protests against former President Mohamed Hosni Mobarak's regime and joined a number of political movements such as Egyptian Movement for Change (Kefaya) and 6th of April Youth Movement. On January 25, 2011 revolution, women confirmed their presence in the country's political scene as they contributed to its success and a number of them paid their lives in order to achieve their goal. After the revolution, the role of women in the political scene had been escalated as they became an audible power in the Egyptian street. Egyptian women also made a huge contribution to the success of June 30, 2013 revolution against the rule of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, as they participated in a number of campaigns and movements such as Rebel movement that aimed to withdraw confidence from President Mohamed Morsi. After June 30 revolution, Egypt witnessed the election of the first woman to head a political party. Hala Shukrallah was elected as the Constitution Party president in February 2014. In 2015 parliamentary elections which was Egypt's roadmap last step, women succeeded to get 87 seats in the parliament, which is considered the greatest number to represent women in the Egyptian Parliament ever.
