Zaynab Fawwaz: Writer and historian

Zaynab Fawwaz (1860(?)-1914(?)) was most likely born into a working-class family of Tibnin, Lebanon. Little is known about her early life, including her date of birth but most sources agree that she was born in 1860. ¹ As a young girl, she worked in the palace of Ali Bey al-Asʿad al-Saghir, the feudal prince of the region where the princess, provided her with tutoring and learning. ¹²

Fawwaz moved to Damascus following her marriage to Adib Nazmi al-Dimashqi, where she hosted a literary salon ³but considering the customs of the time for a veiled woman, she would need the support of her husband to run the salon.⁴

Fawwaz later moved to Egypt,⁵ where she would continue her education and publish a number of articles. Gender was a recurrent issue in Fawwaz’s articles, whether publishing her reflections or responding to others. This included calling for gender equality in education,⁶ refuting arguments on women’s essential inferiority,⁷ and arguing against the devaluation of women labor.⁶ In 1892, she republished her articles in her book Rasa’il Zaynabiyya. In 1899, she would publish a historical biographical dictionary of notable women titled al-Durr al-Manthur fi Tabaqat Rabbat al-Khudur ⁸. She also published Husn al-‘Awaqib aw Ghadat al-Zahirah in 1899.⁹ Fawwaz also published a play titled al-Hawa wal-Wafa in 1893. ¹⁰

Awareness of Zaynab’s work would gradually diminish but in her time, she was well known for her literary and feminist work. She is credited for opening the way for other women as writers and journalist.⁸