Nawal El Saadawi who was a famous egyptian author has passed away at the age of 89. She was not only an author but a psychiatrist and physician. She was suffering a long illness and had died in a Cairo hospital.
The feminist author had gained recognition after her book “Women and Sex” in 1972. Her fame was accelerated after her widely translated novel Women at Point Zero in 1975. Her book “Women and Sex” was banned in Egypt for nearly 20 years and after that, the book got published. Nawal El Saadawi had also got fame for her book “Memoirs from a Women’s Prison.”
In a deeply conservative and patriarchal society, she had started raising a voice for women and emerged as an advocate for women’s empowerment. Her harsh courage and consistent commitment to enhancing the political and sexual rights of women encouraged generations.
She had also faced jail many times because of her bold views. Throughout her life, she had taken death threats from her conservative society. She also lost her job as a Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health in Egypt.
In an interview in 2011, she stated: “Women cannot be freed in a patriarchal society. We have to take steps to free our society from this gender oppression.” After her death, there has been a layer of grief.
Mona Eltahawy, who is an Egyptian-born author took to Twitter and quoted the line of Nawal’s book. Nawal wrote in her book that she was speaking the truth and the truth is cruel and terrible. Mona wrote that Nawal El Saadawi has passed away.