Ramadan in Egypt is a time of communal gathering, charity, prayer — and also a time of marathon television-watching. With dozens of series available across channels and platforms, viewers have lots to choose from when deciding what to tune into. Like the U.S. soap opera, or the Mexican telenovela, the staple dramas occupying the bulk of Egyptian screens during Ramadan were initially developed to cater to a primarily female audience. Despite this, for the first few years of Egyptian broadcast television’s history, none of these productions were directed by women. In 1965, pioneer filmmaker Elweya Zaki became the first woman to direct an Egyptian television drama — namely, her directorial debut, El Mozayyaf (‘The Phony’). In the decades since, women have occupied an ever-growing place in the world of Ramadan entertainment, both as stars and creators of the series that shape audiences’ evenings. As such, Egyptian television’s peak season is both a chance to celebrate the advances made, and contemplate the long way that the industry still has to go in terms of gender equality. On this occasion, here are six series created by women or focusing on women’s issues…
