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"I am very critical of all religions because we, as women, are oppressed by all of them.” There is a current backlash against feminism, argues Nawal El Saadawi, that is strictly linked to a widespread revival of religions.
Born in 1931 in a small village outside Cairo, with eight siblings, Nawal said she started contesting the retrograde laws of tradition by observing the dynamics and relationships within her family – at the age of five she wrote a letter of complaints directly to God.
From personal achievement to prison
Her father provided all his kids with an education and Nawal was able to graduate in psychiatry from the University of Cairo - an exception for girls, especially when of rural origin. While working as a doctor, she became the Minister of Health before being fired under the pressure of political and traditional figures for her progressive stances and writings. She then engaged in her literary and politic passion, pushing women’s freedom and safety on the spotlight of the Arabic society.