The history of female education in Egypt in the 19th-21st centuries

The paper discusses gender stereotypes and gender inequality in the field of female education in Egypt. It is relevant to study the history of female education that is closely associated with women’s struggle for their rights. The purpose of the research is to analyze the dynamics of the female education system in Egypt at all its stages from the 19th century to the present and discover its main development trends, problems, and prospects in this period. The development of women’s educational institutions is investigated on the basis of a wide range of sources. The author introduces the particular historical materials on the content, trends, contradictions, and issues of education development in Egypt and the new historical sources unavailable to most researchers. The methodological basis involves the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity which imply a critical attitude to the sources. Besides, the events are considered in the cause-and-effect relationship and in the context of the basic educational processes of that time. The author employs a gender methodology based on the recognition of gender parity. The findings may be useful in delivering lectures and seminars on the history of the countries of Asia and Africa and teaching a special course on gender history.