Word Weavers: Malak Hifni Nasif

Malak Hifni Nasif (1886-1918) was an Egyptian feminist, writer, and educator, known for her advocacy work for women's rights and education in the early 20th century. Often referred to as "The First Feminist of Egypt," she wrote about the importance of female education and the empowerment of women. 

For Further Reading: 

• What Freedom Means: The Story of Malak Hifni Nasif - Radical Tea Towel
• Arab Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide, 1873–1999
• “Women's lives”: 1909 speech by Malak Higni Nasif - Speaking While Female Speech Bank  

This month, we’re talking about Word Weavers — people who coined terms, popularized words, and even created entirely new languages. These activists, writers, artists, and scholars used language to shape ideas and give voice to experiences that once had no name. 

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Question. Hello for Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and
this is Wamanica. This month, we're talking about word weavers,
people who coined terms, popularized words, and even created entirely
new languages. These activists, writers, artists, and scholars used language
to shape ideas and give voice to experiences that once
had no name. Today we're talking about an educator and

(00:24):
writer who's been referred to as the first feminist of Egypt.
Please welcome. Malak Kifney Nassef Molik was born in Cairo, Egypt,
in eighteen eighty six, just a few years after the
British had invaded and occupied Egypt. As a city, Cairo
was considered the mother of the world for its rich

(00:44):
culture and wealth, vied over by competing powers for hundreds
of years now. During the British occupation, Molik was growing
up in a climate of anti colonial sentiment and a
wide reinterrogation of how Egyptian life should be organized. This
included the royal women should have in society. At the time,
only middle and upper class women were beginning to benefit

(01:05):
from advances like access to education. Fortunately for her and
Malik's large middle class family, intellect was highly valued Her
mother was an avid reader and her father a judge
who believed in universal education. Malik took on their love
of learning and later attended a new all women's school
in Cairo, where she was one of its first graduates.

(01:25):
A few years later, in nineteen oh three, she became
a teacher and taught at the women's school for several years.
When Malik married in nineteen oh seven, she was forced
to quit her job. Her marriage was not a happy one,
as she later found out her husband already had a
wife and child. Polygamy was common then. These events helped

(01:46):
motivate her to say something and contribute to the rising
Egyptian feminist movement. Malik began to write under the pen
name Seeker in the Desert about the rights of women
in the home, at work, and at school. She wrote
for the progress us of nationalist paper Algerida, which saw
feminism as an essential part of true nationalism. This burgeoning

(02:07):
Egyptian feminist movement was key in the struggle against British occupation.
In nineteen oh nine, Maluk was one of the first
women invited to give a speech at headquarters for the
nationalist Uma Party. During the speech, she declared men say
to us categorically, you women have been created for the
house and we have been created to be breadwinners. Is

(02:28):
this a God given dictate? How are we to know
this since no Holy Book has spelled it out. Nothing
irritates me more than when men claim they do not
wish us to work because they wished to spare us
the burden. We do not want condescension, We want respect.
Maloc also emphasized how Egyptian women should be free to
wear their veils in accordance with Islam, so long as

(02:48):
it did not limit a women's ability to leave the
home or access education. She was skeptical of how the
British used the idea of unveiling as a liberatory front
for their own agenda. The following year, Malik's speech and
a compilation of other writings were published in a collection
called a Nissa Yacht. In doing so, Malak is credited

(03:09):
with coining the term nissa yacht to reflect Egyptian feminist
discourse and study. All nissa yat roughly translates to women's
or feminist pieces, but is also commonly translated in English
to on women's issues. In nineteen eleven, Malak was one
of the first women to speak before the Egyptian Congress.

(03:30):
She laid out a ten point plan and list of
demands for improving women's lives, calling for wider opportunities for
women in education and work, and for improved marriage practices.
Malak didn't just make demands, she implemented them. In addition
to her work as a writer, she founded the Union
for the Education of Women, a nursing school for women,
and an emergency health service. Malak continued to write and

(03:54):
publicly engage with other feminists and political figures for the
rest of her life. She died in nineteen eighteen from influenza.
She was around thirty two years old. All month we're
talking about word mevers. For more information, find us on
Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan,
my favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow.