28 Facts About Zaynab Fawwaz

Zaynab Fawwaz was a Lebanese women's rights activist, novelist, playwright, poet and historian of famous women.

Zaynab Fawwaz's work came to a climax during the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the start of the twentieth century in Egypt.

Zaynab Fawwaz represents a unique phenomenon among the pioneering women writers.

Zaynab Fawwaz was not from an elite, city family; rather, she was born in a poor, obscure, and illiterate Shiite family in the village of Tabnin in southern Lebanon.

Zaynab Fawwaz's work at the palace proved to be of great benefit to her; it gave her the chance to associate with Fatimah al-Khalil, the prince's wife, who was a poet.

Zaynab Fawwaz married Khalil Bey Al-Assaad, a man that was known to be a falconer, but they separated due to incompatibility.

Zaynab Fawwaz issued her works and articles in many papers such as Al-Moayyed, Al-Nile, Al-Ahali, Al-Liwaa, Al-Ustaz, Al-Fata, and others.

Zaynab Fawwaz's work was mainly focused on encouraging the freedom of education, especially women's education.

When Zaynab Fawwaz moved to Alexandria, Egypt, she became the student of the poet and owner of Al-Nil Magazine, Hasan Husni Pasha Al-Tuwayrani.

Zaynab Fawwaz wrote two novels and a play, putting her at the forefront of the emergence of the novel in Arabic.

Zaynab Fawwaz showed that marriage should be based on love and understanding.

Zaynab Fawwaz started with encouraging the citizens of her country to participate in all meetings, exhibitions, and associations related to women's rights to proper education, and specifically the conference of the International Women's Union in Santiago in 1893.

Zaynab Fawwaz stressed the importance and the necessity of granting women their rights and widening their scope of activity in the community, particularly in the field of science.

Zaynab Fawwaz responded to the article written by the representative of the Syrian women in that conference, Mrs Hana Kourani.

Zaynab Fawwaz's critique was influenced by women's movements and riots in which they demanded that women must be included in all aspects of life such as politics and decision making.

Zaynab Fawwaz argued that no reason prevented a woman from engaging in all works and in political issues or any other field.

Zaynab Fawwaz called for novel principles and for new laws that guarantee the regulation of women's lives and their rights in education and work.

Zaynab Fawwaz was constantly preoccupied with public issues and debated to defend women's rights.

Zaynab Fawwaz demanded to preserve women's rights in participating in political and intellectual issues.

All these factors triggered Zaynab Fawwaz to call the Egyptians to help the Algerian citizens.

Zaynab Fawwaz always was thrived and eager to attend his speeches.

Zaynab Fawwaz's speeches were previously addressed to "men" and became addressed to "ladies and gentlemen".

Qasim Amin and Zaynab Fawwaz had similar views in their published articles.

Zaynab Fawwaz criticized many factors that were prevailing back then: the elimination of women's free will, the obligation of the veil upon them, and preventing them from a proper education.

Unfortunately, it is hard to track the real influence and impact that Zaynab Fawwaz had on her surroundings.

However, Zaynab Fawwaz did leave an impact on many people in Syria, where a school was named after her.

Also, most of Zaynab Fawwaz's writings are not present in any library and remain forgotten.

Zaynab Fawwaz belonged to a less fortunate family and lived a very simple and modest life.