THE WOMEN OF EGYPT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 19 October 1914, Page 2

THE WOMEN OF EGYPT.

STRUGGLES FOR EMANCIPATION.

The English woman of to-day would have to retrogress maw centuries b£ a^tance of the Egyptian woman of to" day, even the woman of the higher +«»« r toi' for? a fan' ldea <>f the lattei s disadvantages, which handicap her at every turn. It is true that a tew, a very few of those married to S wh?vP y? imb-\ bed Western edueaiion and Western ideas for themeelves have, when out of their own country a certain temporary freedom, goin^ to theatres and public- nlaces, and talking about the streets, and doing their own shopping unveiled; but even these when m their own country are cut off trom all "intercourse with men save those ot their own household and never apnoar out of their oun-homes unless strictly veiled. Many of these women are nichly educated, and pass examinations similar to those passed by their brothers and fathers; bat their education is of little use to them after they nave left their schools or their o- OV ernesses, bsvond making many of them bitterly discontented with their .lot I 1 or an Eastern .man, however educated, never regards a woman as an equal, bhe is there, she is created for his needs, his pleasure. If it amuses her m her., youth to learn French and Ingush, to know something of science and history, well and good; but she belongs to another .world from himself and he would as soon think of discussing anything- with her or taking her opinion seriously as lie would that of a certified lunatic. FIRST FEEBLE PROTESTS. Against this attitude of man the Egyptian woman is beginning to make her first feeble protest and revolt. Ihose who have learnt of history and ait m their youth are making a valiant , ejF oru .*? continue their learning in after life by forming little societies ; amongst themselves for mutual help ; and instruction, even arranging f or lectures and papers to be read to them by Western women. But in this they are m nowise helped by their men- ! kinds who think that woman's one and , only function is to be mate and mother ■ and slave to man's comfort. Amongst V l6 lower classes it is the women who do the createst part of the work, while . the men >s-end their clays in luxurious idleness For not only do women do the. work of the houses—to dignify their s^iahd furnitureless mud huts i—wno fetch the water from lon a- dis.tances, carrying their huge coniealbased water 2 ars on their heads, but .tnev also work long hours in the fields , ™eamg, hoeing, planting. There is no one place; where can be typically seen .side by side the commencing struggle of women for emancipation and their I uaer subservience of man's dominance land brutality so well aa in the gS •£* ? ret insta"ce« of women endeavor-l-Mff to secure a career of their own -since many young Egyptian women flre ber- trained as Hakima. wilaSel IBey arc drawn mostly from the aiylr or doctor class, and while many of oo not loiovv the meaning of truth \l?£ he m\v™zs that do not ! matter, and trtfle they are Krid to Jheir paHents, cheerfully make ntterl? tiSrt Ar ? md ,s%ments about f I it. ob- IIJ. lous- W JJtdifferent to the fact that tiie doctor ttov be mystified ,or utterly misled. Their dreWhi hos US 1S ty a?i s^t^f. oTbuLhS: bhie cotton with white nprons and ! 4Dou u their heads, leaving their' smiling. youn^ faces uncovered PIONEERS1 FOR THEIE SEX. ' i 7 t are, mo's&V "very" su#eTstit'"oiiß ;I+ ? i! x tn«iurh, the> are, they aye .caieei ior themselves; they may be ret good Qualities.of clieerfuTneS JS then- sufferings-are horrible; But never'" Hn? aThe Ov dr Of croi S-' benutaful. dark ejr.es looking Z^wiih unfathomable P »thos, withoutone word" of ooypjamt:. Their whole attiTud^l one of "malaish"— nothincr matters It:. f the will of Allah, therefore it ifidlt to kick against the pricks, ) KNOCKING' AT" THE DTSOR: In another department of the- Kos^ Prtal, the foundling >yard; ft shown upt «f +f commenc'at>^ si^e of the • naW of the poorer class of •Egyptian womS? who, rendered indifferent % suffering to that of her offspring. In this ono ward alone there-ar^ annually- taSS from 120 to 150 small- babies/raSS from a few- minutes to 48^hours- olof who have been thrown out- into- tie streets wrapped " in- a piece- of" newspaper or old cloth' and utterly- desert- : cd. Most of these die feefore^ tfie-year is out for. poor smair mites; they- ar© riddled wibfr disease, awdthose-wlio, do not die arc-generally adopted' by some childless woman. For amorist'- the ignorant natives the-i^fc-umvei«ally : accepted that the-only-ch'ance- a wo- f man has of entering: heave*, is- ix> bear a child. Therefore; if- by mix uidncky' chance she. is barren-. shY Hopee that by adopting a chiM'ehe may-sfctfl gain heaven by-a'tawk-entranced But the Egyptian woman is kiidckui^ at the door which her Western- sister has already- thrust wMe-op.en-. ands those who, have, crossed-tfte threshold: '.must wislh welf; even if ■ they- cawot help, those, who- are still' , strttfgglSqg Tthrouftfc generations of- reproesioa "and tyrannyanddegradfvtioni to- com© into the light which we Western©!-* %t£ke for grantedfrom our orad.les.~E.. ~A. Stout, i« iy^ i London" (Sli-ronicr©*- " !