Her Story ... Feminist & Activist
XVII. A Stand Against Authoritarianism
Milestones:
1955 DS returns to Egypt to continue the national fight
Women given the vote
Feminist initiatives obstructed by Nasser's government
Doria reflected on the state of Egypt upon her return in 1955, “From the moment of my return I entered into a new struggle, one that had taken on fresh meaning since my voyage around the world. A regime in which the fundamental importance of the human being does not constitute the beginning and the end, cannot speak of freedom.”
With Gamal Abdel Nasser having firmly taken over control of the reigns of the Egyptian state, the government regularly hindered Doria’s work and projects. Women were given the vote but other initiatives taken by the Bint al-Nil Union and other feminist movements, to improve the lot of women were thwarted at every turn by Nasser’s government, who looked to strangle any and all opposition to his socialist dream state. Furthermore, Nasser felt particularly threatened by Doria’s image and her connections to the Western world.
