Women in Egyptian Public Life

This is a study of the political and economic elite of Egyptian women as they affect change both within and outside Islamic tradition. Four categories are reviewed: women in parliament, presidential wives, opposition women, and women in business. In each case, formative years (economic class, educational level, familial support), marriage and family, beginning pathways, and public roles are analyzed in the context of the nation's history, politics, and religion. Differences and similarities between urban and rural and veiled and unveiled women are charted.