Hikmat Abu Zayd

Hikmat Abu Zayd

Hikmat Abu Zayd (حكمت أبو زيد‎) was an Egyptian politician and academic born in the village of Shayk Daud sometime between 1922 and 1923. She obtained a license (Master’s-equivalent) in history from Cairo University in 1940 and a teaching certificate the following year. Abu Zayd then went on to study at the University of St Andrews, completing a Master of Arts in Education in 1950 and a PhD in Behavioral Psychology from the University of London in 1957. Abu Zayd was the first woman cabinet minister in Egypt and the second woman in the Arab world to ever hold a ministerial role. She was appointed as the Minister of Social Affairs by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1962 and served as minister until Nasser’s death in 1970. Abu Zayd was also named the Arab Socialist Union’s Coordinator for Women’s Activities in 1963 and throughout the 1980s, was the leader of the Egyptian National Front. Hikmat Abu Zayd died in Cairo, Egypt on 30 July 2011.

BAMEStAndrews,internationaltour

1922/3

licb1@st-andrews.ac.uk

Organisation

249

حكمت أبو زيد (Arabic)

https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12052714

TEXT

Q12052714

D.O.B: 1922 or 1923, El Sheikh Dawoud, Egypt D.O.D: 30 July, 2011 Family origins: • Grew up in an Egyptian nationalist household. • Though mother was illiterate, Hikmat encouraged to read throughout her youth – was even granted access to her father’s library. Private life/family life: • Husband resentful of her responsibility-laden role and the amount of time she spent outside of the domestic sphere as a result

Education: • Cairo University (Fuad I University at the time) – License in History (1940) • University of St Andrews – Master of Arts, Education (1950) • University of London – Educational Psychology (1957) • Ain Shams University, Women’s College – Teacher (1955-1964) • Cairo University – Professor (1965) Profession: • Egyptian Minister of Social Affairs – September 1962-September 1965 • Coordinator for Women’s Activities, Arab Socialist Union – 1963 • A leader of the Egyptian National Front -- 1980 (Professional) Role in St Andrews: Student – Master of Arts, Education (graduated in 1950) Involved in which fields of scholarship? (e.g. geology, philosophy and medicine) • Education • Politics/government • Psychology Most famous contribution(s) to scholarship /inventions/… 1 (i.e. in geology): • First female minister (of social affairs) in Egypt, second female in the Arab world to hold a ministerial position

2011